Terahertz metal grid polarizer with bridges on quartz substrate

John S. Cetnar; Junpeng Guo; Elliott R. Brown

doi:10.1117/12.2185114

28 August 2015 Terahertz metal grid polarizer with bridges on quartz substrate

John S. Cetnar, Junpeng Guo, Elliott R. Brown

Proceedings Volume 9547, Plasmonics: Metallic Nanostructures and Their Optical Properties XIII; 95471O (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2185114
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The metal wire-grid polarizer is a venerable device that is used on radiation throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. It usually consists of a 1D-periodic array of subwavelength metallic wires in free space or mounted on a low-loss dielectric substrate, the plane of the grid being oriented perpendicular to the propagation direction. Herein is presented a new structure, a subwavelength wire-grid polarizer for the terahertz region that acts not only as a wideband polarizer but also as a transparent electrode. This function is achieved by the addition of periodically placed metallic bridges that connect the parallel metal wires of the polarizer. The bridges allow for the uniform distribution of an electrostatic potential over all wires while maintaining the polarizing functionality of the metal wire grid polarizer.

Full-wave electromagnetic simulations were performed on the device. The transmittance was computed in both perpendicular polarization and parallel polarization from 100 to 4000 GHz, and the extinction ratio was calculated across the same range. Furthermore, fill-factor studies were performed to understand how device performance is affected by varying slot width and bridge length, as well as bridge offset. The simulation results showed extraordinary optical transmission through the device for perpendicular polarization, creating excellent transmittance and extinction ratios over the frequency range. The perpendicular polarization transmittance and extinction ratio at 1 THz was calculated to be -1 dB and -36 dB respectively. Meanwhile, the bridges allow the device to behave like a DC electrode.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

John S. Cetnar, Junpeng Guo, and Elliott R. Brown "Terahertz metal grid polarizer with bridges on quartz substrate", Proc. SPIE 9547, Plasmonics: Metallic Nanostructures and Their Optical Properties XIII, 95471O (28 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2185114

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available