An Optically-Programmable Absorbing Metasurface

TL;DR

This paper introduces a tunable metasurface absorber that uses an optically-programmable dielectric to achieve frequency tuning without conventional semiconductor devices, operating at 5.5 GHz with a 150 MHz bandwidth.

Contribution

It presents a novel optically-tunable metasurface absorber using a dielectric-based tuning mechanism instead of traditional semiconductor components.

Findings

Achieves optical tuning of the absorption frequency.

Operates effectively at 5.5 GHz with a 150 MHz bandwidth.

Eliminates the need for semiconductor devices in RF tuning.

Abstract

A tunable metasurface absorber is presented in this work using an optically-programmable capacitor as the tuning element. The tuning element does not employ conventional semiconductor technologies to operate but rather a bases its tuning by changing the optomechanical properties of its dielectric, poly disperse red 1 acrylate (PDR1A). Doing so there are no conventional semiconductor devices in the RF signal path. The metasurface operates at a design frequency of 5.5 GHz and it achieves an optically-tuned bandwidth of 150 MHz, from 5.50 GHz to 5.65 GHz.