High Performance Terahertz Hybrid Metamaterial Devices

Dr. Hou-Tong Chen

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos

Our recent progress in creation of novel hybrid metamaterial devices for THz applications will be presented in this talk. Specifically, strong electric resonance response in a series of metamaterial designs will be shown which can be used to implement excellent band-pass or band-stop THz filters. Alteration of the properties of semiconductor substrates on which the metamaterial structures are fabricated has resulted in actively and dynamically switchable THz devices, including high performance THz switches and modulators operating at room temperature. Further integration of certain natural materials into specific metamaterial structures enables us to develop frequency agile THz metamaterials, which alleviate problems due to the narrow-band operation inherently associated with the resonance metamaterial designs. Such approaches may ultimately lead to complete control and manipulation of THz EM waves that are essential in THz applications.

Speaker Biography:Dr. Hou-Tong Chen currently works in the Center for Integrated Nanotchnologies at Los Alamos National Laboratory as technical staff. His research interests mainly focus on ultrafast optics, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, hybrid metamaterials and surface plasmonics, and terahertz imaging and scanning near-field microscopy as well. He received Postdoctoral Publication Prize Honorable Mention, and Achievement Award, both in 2007, from Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr Hou-Tong Chen received his Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2004, and his M.S. and B.S. from the University of Science and Technology of China, in 2000 and 1997 respectively, all in Physics.

Friday, October 3rd, at 12:00 noon

CHTM, Room 101

A light lunch will be served at the talk.