Electrically Tunable Multifunctional Polarization-Dependent Metasurfaces Integrated with Liquid Crystals in the Visible Region

Abstract

Metasurfaces open up new avenues for designing planar optics, enabling compact dynamic metadevices. Numerous dynamic strategies have been proposed, among which liquid crystal (LC) based metasurfaces are expected due to the maturity of LC materials. However, existing schemes rarely exploit the polarization manipulation capabilities of metasurfaces and the limited performance hinders the development of practical addressable devices. Here, we demonstrate an electrically tunable multifunctional polarization-dependent metasurface integrated with LCs in the visible range. By a combination of the helicity-dependent metasurface and the birefringent LCs, continuous intensity tuning and switching of two helicity channels are realized. Electrically tunable mono- and multicolor switchable metaholograms and dynamic varifocal metalenses are demonstrated with a simple and performance-enhancing integration scheme. Further, electrically addressable dynamic metasurfaces are achieved. The proposed modulation and integration schemes pave the way for addressable dynamic metasurface devices in various applications, such as space light modulators, light detection and ranging systems, and holographic displays.

Keywords: dynamic device; electrically tunable; liquid crystals; metasurfaces.