Liquid metal-based plasmonics

Abstract

We demonstrate that liquid metals support surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) at terahertz (THz) frequencies, and can thus serve as an attractive material system for a wide variety of plasmonic and metamaterial applications. We use eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) as the liquid metal injected into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold fabricated by soft lithography techniques. Using this approach, we observe enhanced THz transmission through a periodic array of subwavelength apertures. Despite of the fact that the DC conductivity of EGaIn is an order of magnitude smaller than many conventional metals, we clearly observe well-defined transmission resonances. This represents a first step in developing reconfigurable and tunable plasmonic devices that build upon well-developed microfluidic capabilities.
Published
2012-11-29
How to Cite
. Liquid metal-based plasmonics. Open Research at the U, [S.l.], v. 1, n. 2, nov. 2012. Available at: <https://epubs.utah.edu/index.php/open/article/view/800>. Date accessed: 09 oct. 2024.
Section
Articles