Electrically programmable pixelated coherent mid-infrared thermal emission

Active metasurfaces have recently emerged as compact, lightweight, and efficient platforms for dynamic control of electromagnetic fields and optical responses. However, the complexities associated with their post-fabrication tunability significantly hinder their widespread applications, especially for the mid-infrared range due to material scarcity and design intricacy. Here, we experimentally demonstrate highly dynamic, pixelated modulations of coherent mid-infrared emission based on an electrically programmable plasmonic metasurface integrated with graphene field-effect transistors (Gr-FETs). The ultrabroad infrared transparency of graphene allows for customized control over plasmonic meta-atoms, thus achieving coherent mid-infrared states across a broad range of wavelengths, directions, and polarizations. The spatial temperature modulation generated by Gr-FETs is effectively synergized with the emissivity control by the localized surface plasmon polaritons and quasi-bound states in the continuum from gold nanoantennas. This integrated temperature-emissivity modulation of metasurfaces is systematically extended to form a pixelated 2D array with low crosstalk, envisioning advanced approaches toward scalable 2D electrical wiring for densely packed, independently addressable pixels.