Highly Strained Compliant Optical Metamaterials with Large Frequency Tunability

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 10; no. 10; pp. 4222 - 4227
• Main Authors: Pryce, Imogen M., Aydin, Koray, Kelaita, Yousif A., Briggs, Ryan M., Atwater, Harry A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 13-10-2010
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; Materials science; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Physics; Visible and ultraviolet spectra; plasmonic sensing; Metamaterials; polymers; Strains; Resonance frequency; Bandwidth; Vibrational modes; Line widths; Resonance; Absorption spectra; Metamaterial; Nanostructured materials; Resonators
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl102684x

Metamaterial designs are typically limited to operation over a narrow bandwidth dictated by the resonant line width. Here we report a compliant metamaterial with tunability of Δλ ∼ 400 nm, greater than the resonant line width at optical frequencies, using high-strain mechanical deformation of an elastomeric substrate to controllably modify the distance between the resonant elements. Using this compliant platform, we demonstrate dynamic surface-enhanced infrared absorption by tuning the metamaterial resonant frequency through a CH stretch vibrational mode, enhancing the reflection signal by a factor of 180. Manipulation of resonator components is also used to tune and modulate the Fano resonance of a coupled system.