Electro-Optic Lithium Niobate Metasurfaces

TL;DR

This paper presents an electro-optic lithium niobate metasurface capable of dynamic phase modulation of transmitted light, achieved through electric tuning of the refractive index, with potential applications in display and light modulation technologies.

Contribution

The work introduces a novel EO-LN metasurface demonstrating real-time phase control via Pockels effect, integrating metasurfaces with active electrical tuning for the first time.

Findings

Observation of quasi-bound states in the continuum (QBIC)

Electric voltage induces significant phase modulation

Potential for applications in display and pulse shaping

Abstract

Many applications of metasurfaces require an ability to dynamically change their properties in time domain. Electrical tuning techniques are of particular interest, since they pave a way to on-chip integration of metasurfaces with optoelectronic devices. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an electro-optic lithium niobate (EO-LN) metasurface that shows dynamic modulations to phase retardation of transmitted light. Quasi-bound states in the continuum (QBIC) are observed from our metasurface. And by applying external electric voltages, the refractive index of the LN is changed by Pockels EO nonlinearity, leading to efficient phase modulations to the transmitted light around the QBIC wavelength. Our EO-LN metasurface opens up new routes for potential applications in the field of displaying, pulse shaping, and spatial light modulating.