Mid-Infrared waveguides and negative refraction with anisotropic metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper introduces two novel mid-infrared metamaterial waveguides with negative refraction, utilizing quantum wells in metallic and dielectric configurations, controllable via external electric or optical means.

Contribution

It presents the design of two new metamaterial waveguides with negative refraction in the mid-IR, based on quantum wells, which can be fabricated with existing semiconductor technology.

Findings

Negative refraction occurs around the intersubband transition of quantum wells.

Refraction properties depend on the 2D electron concentration in the wells.

Materials can be controlled externally by electric fields or optical pumping.

Abstract

We propose two metamaterial waveguides, operating in the mid-IR, which would display negative refraction. The first waveguide is a metallic strip incorporating quantum wells, whereas the second is a dielectric waveguide which incorporates quantum wells. The negative refraction of both waveguides occurs around the intersubband transition (ISBT) of the quantum wells and is dependent upon the 2D concentration of electron within the wells; these materials could be grown by conventional semiconductor technology (MBE) and the electron concentration within the wells controlled externally by electric fields or optically pumping.