Open AccessSubluminal and superluminal terahertz radiation in metamaterials with electromagnetically induced transparency
Author(s) -
Zhengyang Bai,
Chao Hang,
Guoxiang Huang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.017736
Subject(s) - electromagnetically induced transparency , terahertz radiation , superluminal motion , metamaterial , optics , physics , resonator , group velocity , optoelectronics , slow light , radiation , terahertz spectroscopy and technology , split ring resonator , photonic crystal , astronomy
We propose a scheme to design a new type of optical metamaterial that can mimic the functionality of four-state atomic systems of N-type energy-level configuration with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We show that in such metamaterial a transition from a single EIT to a double EIT of terahertz radiation may be easily achieved by actively tuning the intensity of the infrared pump field or passively tuning the geometrical parameters of resonator structures. In addition, the group velocity of the terahertz radiation can be varied from subluminal to superluminal by changing the pump field intensity. The scheme suggested here may be used to construct chip-scale slow and fast light devices and to realize rapidly responded switching of terahertz radiation at room temperature.