Optical bistability involving planar metamaterial with broken structural symmetry

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates optical bistability in a planar metamaterial with broken symmetry, leveraging Fano-like resonances and nonlinear substrate effects to achieve bistable light transmission.

Contribution

It introduces a novel planar metamaterial design exhibiting optical bistability through Fano resonance and nonlinear substrate coupling, advancing control over light-matter interactions.

Findings

Bistable light transmission observed in the metamaterial.

Fano-like sharp resonance enhances the bistability effect.

Coupling between trapped-mode currents and nonlinear substrate enables feedback.

Abstract

We report on a bistable light transmission through a planar metamaterial composed of a metal pattern of weakly asymmetric elements placed on a nonlinear substrate. Such structure bears the Fano-like sharp resonance response of a trapped-mode excitation. The feedback required for bistability is provided by the coupling between the strong antiphased trapped-mode-resonance currents excited on the metal elements and the intensity of inner field in the nonlinear substrate.