Synchronously controlled optical modes in the transmittance and reflectance spectra of multilayer photonic structure with dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for electrically controlling synchronous optical modes in a multilayer photonic structure with dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal, enabling tunable transmittance and reflectance spectra for advanced photonic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining asymmetric Fabry-Perot microcavity, ultrathin metallic film, and dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal for mode tuning in optical spectra.

Findings

Achieved wide spectral rejection in reflection due to broadband Tamm plasmon-polariton excitation.

Demonstrated mode tuning across short- and long-wavelength ranges using dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal.

Observed narrow resonance peaks in reflectance coinciding with transmittance peaks.

Abstract

A method for the electrically controlled synchronous mode tuning in the transmittance and reflectance spectra of a photonic structure consisting of an asymmetric dielectric Fabry-Perot microcavity and an ultrathin metallic film has been proposed. The excitation of a broadband Tamm plasmon-polariton at the metal-Bragg mirror interface is accompanied by the two phenomena opposing one another. Due to the strong absorption induced by the metal, a sufficient rejection level in reflection of the off-resonant radiation has been obtained in a wide spectral range, which almost coincides with the photonic band gap, while at the cavity mode frequencies the structure becomes transparent for the reflected radiation. This leads to the appearance of a series of narrow resonance peaks in the reflectance spectra that coincide in frequency with the transmittance peaks. Based on the structural transformations in the dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal used as a photonic structure defect, the tuning of the modes corresponding to the extraordinary waves to both the short- and long-wavelength spectral ranges has been implemented.