Localized terahertz electromagnetically-induced transparency-like phenomenon in a conductively coupled trimer metamolecule

Opt Express. 2017 Oct 2;25(20):24410-24424. doi: 10.1364/OE.25.024410.

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the terahertz (THz) electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT)-like phenomenon in a metamolecule (MM) of three-body system. This system involves a couple of geometrically identical split-ring resonators (SRRs) in orthogonal layout conductively coupled by a cut-wire resonator. Such a three-body system exhibits two frequency response properties upon to the polarization of incident THz beam: One is the dark-bright-bright layout to the horizontally polarized THz beam, where there is no EIT-like effect; the other is bright-dark-dark layout to the vertically polarized THz beam, where an EIT-like effect is observable. The transparency window can be tuned from 0.71 THz to 0.74 THz by the displacement of cut-wire inside the trimer MM. A maximum of 7.5 ps group delay of THz wave is found at the transparent window of 0.74 THz. When the cut-wire moved to the mid-point of lateral-side of SRR, the EIT-like phenomenon disappears, this leads to a localized THz slow-light effect. The distribution of surface currents and electric energy reveals that the excited inductive-capacitive (LC) oscillation of bright-SRR dominates the high frequency side-mode, which is isolated to the displacement of cut-wire resonator. However, the low frequency side-mode originates from the constructive hybridization of LC resonance in dark-SRR coupled with a localized S-shaped dipole oscillator, which is tunable by the displacement of cut-wire. As a consequence, the group delay as well as the spectral configuration of transparency window can be manipulated by tuning one side-mode while fixing the other. Such an experimental finding reveal the EIT-like effect in a conductively coupled three-body system and manifests a novel approach to achieve tunable THz slow-light device.