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Photoinduced handedness switching in terahertz chiral metamolecules

Author

Listed:
  • Shuang Zhang

    (Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of California
    School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham)

  • Jiangfeng Zhou

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies)

  • Yong-Shik Park

    (Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of California)

  • Junsuk Rho

    (Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of California)

  • Ranjan Singh

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies)

  • Sunghyun Nam

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies)

  • Abul K. Azad

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies)

  • Hou-Tong Chen

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies)

  • Xiaobo Yin

    (Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of California
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Antoinette J. Taylor

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies)

  • Xiang Zhang

    (Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of California
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

Abstract

Switching the handedness, or the chirality, of a molecule is of great importance in chemistry and biology, as molecules of different handedness exhibit dramatically different physiological properties and pharmacological effects. Here we experimentally demonstrate handedness switching in metamaterials, a new class of custom-designed composites with deep subwavelength building blocks, in response to external optical stimuli. The metamolecule monolayer flips the ellipticity and rotates the polarization angle of light in excess of 10° under optical excitation, a much stronger electromagnetic effect than that of naturally available molecules. Furthermore, the experimentally demonstrated optical switching effect does not require a structural reconfiguration, which is typically involved in molecular chirality switching and is inherently slow. The handedness switching in chiral metamolecules allows electromagnetic control of the polarization of light and will find important applications in manipulation of terahertz waves, such as dynamically tunable terahertz circular polarizers and polarization modulators for terahertz radiations.

Suggested Citation

  • Shuang Zhang & Jiangfeng Zhou & Yong-Shik Park & Junsuk Rho & Ranjan Singh & Sunghyun Nam & Abul K. Azad & Hou-Tong Chen & Xiaobo Yin & Antoinette J. Taylor & Xiang Zhang, 2012. "Photoinduced handedness switching in terahertz chiral metamolecules," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1908
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1908
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    Cited by:

    1. Guankui Long & Giorgio Adamo & Jingyi Tian & Maciej Klein & Harish N. S. Krishnamoorthy & Elena Feltri & Hebin Wang & Cesare Soci, 2022. "Perovskite metasurfaces with large superstructural chirality," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.

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