Controlling Metamaterial Resonances with Light

Abstract: We investigate the use of coherent optical fields as a means of dynamically controlling the resonant behaviour of a variety of composite metamaterials, wherein the metamaterial structures are embedded in a dispersive dielectric medium. Control and switching is implemented by coherently driving the resonant permittivity of the embedding medium by applied optical radiation. The effect of embedding Split ring resonators (SRR) in a frequency- dispersive medium with Lorentz-like dispersion or with dispersion engineered by electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT), is manifested in the splitting of the negative permeability band, the modified (frequency-dependent) filling fractions and dissipation factors. The modified material parameters are strongly linked to the resonant frequencies of the medium, while for an embedding medium exhibiting EIT, also to the strength and detuning of the control field. The robustness of control against the deleterious influence of dissipation associated with the metallic structures as well as the inhomogeneous broadening due to structural imperfections is demonstrated. Studies on plasmonic metamaterials that consist of metallic nanorods arranged in loops and exhibit a collective magnetic response at optical frequencies are presented. Control and switching in this class of plasmonic nanorod metamaterials is shown to be possible, for example, by embedding these arrays in a Raman active liquid like CS$_2$ and utilizing the Inverse Raman Effect.