Electrically switchable metallic polymer metasurface device with gel polymer electrolyte

Derek de Jong; Julian Karst; Dominik Ludescher; Moritz Floess; Sophia Moell; Klaus Dirnberger; Mario Hentschel; Sabine Ludwigs; Paul V Braun; Harald Giessen

doi:10.1515/nanoph-2022-0654

Electrically switchable metallic polymer metasurface device with gel polymer electrolyte

Nanophotonics. 2023 Jan 24;12(8):1397-1404. doi: 10.1515/nanoph-2022-0654. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ 4th Physics Institute and Research Center ScoPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Research Laboratory, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
³ IPOC-Functional Polymers, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.

Abstract

We present an electrically switchable, compact metasurface device based on the metallic polymer PEDOT:PSS in combination with a gel polymer electrolyte. Applying square-wave voltages, we can reversibly switch the PEDOT:PSS from dielectric to metallic. Using this concept, we demonstrate a compact, standalone, and CMOS compatible metadevice. It allows for electrically controlled ON and OFF switching of plasmonic resonances in the 2-3 µm wavelength range, as well as electrically controlled beam switching at angles up to 10°. Furthermore, switching frequencies of up to 10 Hz, with oxidation times as fast as 42 ms and reduction times of 57 ms, are demonstrated. Our work provides the basis towards solid state switchable metasurfaces, ultimately leading to submicrometer-pixel spatial light modulators and hence switchable holographic devices.

Keywords: beam switching; metadevice; metasurfaces; nanophotonics; plasmonics; polymers.