Metasurfaces Based on Phase-Change Material as a Reconfigurable Platform for Multifunctional Devices

Abstract

Integration of phase-change materials (PCMs) into electrical/optical circuits has initiated extensive innovation for applications of metamaterials (MMs) including rewritable optical data storage, metasurfaces, and optoelectronic devices. PCMs have been studied deeply due to their reversible phase transition, high endurance, switching speed, and data retention. Germaniumantimony-tellurium (GST) is a PCM that has amorphous and crystalline phases with distinct properties, is bistable and nonvolatile, and undergoes a reliable and reproducible phase transition in response to an optical or electrical stimulus; GST may therefore have applications in tunable photonic devices and optoelectronic circuits. In this progress article, we outline recent studies of GST and discuss its advantages and possible applications in reconfigurable metadevices. We also discuss outlooks for integration of GST in active nanophotonic metadevices.

Phase-change-driven dielectric-plasmonic transitions in chalcogenide metasurfaces

“…Phase-change materials have had a significant role in the evolution of active plasmonic and photonic metamaterial technologies, delivering a variety of switchable, tunable, and reconfigurable optical functionalities through hybridization with plasmonic metal nanostructures [1][2][3][4][5] . Chalcogenides, which can be electrically and optically switched between amorphous and crystalline states with markedly different electronic and photonic properties [6][7][8][9][10] , have facilitated the realization of active plasmonic metamaterial devices for a variety of applications including electro-and all-optical signal switching, polarization modulation, beam steering, and multispectral imaging [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . Moreover, the near-infrared high refractive index and index contrast between phase states within germanium antimony telluride (Ge 2 :Sb 2 :Te 5 or GST) have recently been harnessed in the demonstration of laser-rewritable and optically switchable, nanostructured 'all-dielectric' (i.e., all-chalcogenide) metasurfaces [20][21][22] .…”

Dynamic Terahertz Plasmonics Enabled by Phase‐Change Materials

“…[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Phase-change materials (PCMs) exhibiting drastic and abrupt transitions of the physical properties under certain conditions are also considered promising candidates to develop reconfigurable THz modulation devices [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] because the phase-change phenomena accompany shifts of the electrical/optical conductivities and sometimes the internal material structure. If any active material has multiple phases controlled by thermal, electrical, or electromagnetic means, then this material can be utilized to realize various functionalities of plasmonic structures.…”

“…For example, semiconductors or graphene have been widely exploited to achieve tunable THz plasmonic systems. [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Phase-change materials (PCMs) exhibiting drastic and abrupt transitions of the physical properties under certain conditions are also considered promising candidates to develop reconfigurable THz modulation devices [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] because the phase-change phenomena accompany shifts of the electrical/optical conductivities and sometimes the internal material structure.…”

Stoichiometric Engineering of Chalcogenide Semiconductor Alloys for Nanophotonic Applications

“…[19][20][21] , upon which basis they have been of fundamental scientific interest (in chemistry, physics and materials science) and technological importance (optical, and more recently electronic, data storage) for many decades. [12,22,23] As phase-change media, chalcogenides have facilitated a range of 'active' nanophotonic and plasmonic metamaterial devices for applications ranging from electro-and all-optical signal switching and polarization modulation to beam steering and multispectral imaging. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Lately, the high NIR refractive index and amorphous-crystalline index contrast of germanium antimony telluride (GST) has been harnessed in the realization of laser-rewritable and optically switchable all-dielectric (i.e.…”