Low-loss phase change materials-based reprogrammable non-volatile 1 × 2 switch on integrated metasurfaces

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Metasurfaces offer advanced control over electromagnetic waves, crucial for optical technologies.
• Current metasurfaces face limitations due to slow response times and static material properties.
• Programmable and reconfigurable metasurfaces are essential for next-generation optical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a reconfigurable integrated coding metasurface-based optical switch.
• To utilize the dynamic properties of low-loss phase change materials for programmable metasurface control.
• To demonstrate efficient optical switching with high performance.

Main Methods:

• Integration of low-loss phase change materials, specifically antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3), into a coding metasurface design.
• Development of a device capable of steering optical output between two ports.
• Analysis of device performance under various fabrication imperfections.

Main Results:

• Achieved programmable control of metasurface functionality using dynamic Sb2S3 properties.
• Demonstrated efficient optical switching with a large extinction ratio.
• Reported low insertion loss of approximately -2.1 dB and -11 dB crosstalk.
• Showcased robust device performance despite fabrication imperfections.

Conclusions:

• The developed optical switch effectively addresses the need for reconfigurable metasurfaces.
• Antimony trisulfide is a promising material for dynamic control in optical switching applications.
• The device exhibits practical viability for advanced optical systems.