Polarization states synthesizer based on a thermo-optic dielectric metasurface

Abstract

A tunable polarization state converter/synthesizer based on an anisotropic resonant metasurface (ARM) is demonstrated. The semiconductor-based metasurface is designed to have a thermo-optically actuated optical mode excited by an incident free-space optical field. A diversity of output polarization states is reversibly generated and controlled by the temperature-dependent phase retardance between the two principal linear polarization states. The effect of metasurface inhomogeneity on the range of achievable polarization states is discussed and quantified, and the potential routes to "perfect" efficiency are suggested. By virtue of having a thickness of a fraction of the operating wavelength, ARMs represent a novel class of tunable polarization states' generating devices poised to find use in free-space communications and other applications.