Strongly resonant all-dielectric metasurfaces based on quasi-dark and toroidal modes

Abstract

The present proposal consists of a binational research project formed by the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (FEEC) at UNICAMP and the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems of the National Research Council (CRN-IMM) of Italy. This work aims to carry out a theoretical and numerical study, experimental demonstration and application of quasi-dark and toroidal modes in dielectric-based metasurfaces. The study of dark and toroidal modes in strongly resonant metasurfaces (SRM) is in the forefront of current research in the field of metamaterials, thanks not only to the insight it provides on the physics of coupled-resonator systems but also to their unique properties, which are directly exploitable in various applications. StReAM project targets the in-depth investigation of the elusive physics of dark and toroidal-mode SRM. In that sense, their topological and field symmetry properties as well as the influence of the metasurface geometry and the type of external excitation will be studied via sophisticated theoretical and numerical tools in order to establish generic rules on the engineering of SRM. Furthermore, some experimental proof-of-concepts will be provided using ceramic resonator and silicon metasurfaces at microwave or terahertz band. Finally, an SRM-based near-infrared (NIR) refractometric sensor will be demonstrated, featuring superior performance by exploiting enhanced light-analyte interaction in silicon SRM. In addition to being a great relevance and current interest area, StReAM will create the ideal conditions for an advantageous collaboration between both countries in view of a consortium for future joint endeavors. (AU)