Metamaterial Devices for the Terahertz Band

Terahertz (THz) and metamaterials are both hot topics in electromagnetics research. The THz band (0.1-10 THz) lies in the ‘gap’ between microwave and far infrared regions. Research is currently underway to characterize how these waves interact with matter, with potential applications including security screening, medical imaging, and non-destructive evaluation. Metamaterials are artificial materials containing sub-wavelength structures whose material properties, μ and ǫ can be ‘tuned’ to desired specifications, including simultaneously negative values, resulting in exotic properties such as a negative refractive index. Current metamaterials research includes the design of devices that operate at THz frequencies, filling a niche left wide open by the relative lack of naturally occurring materials with significant THz response. In this work, a background on both THz and metamaterials is given followed by a summary of a recently published paper in which metamaterial devices are used for switching and modulation of THz waves [1].