# US 2012/0057616 A1 · Dynamical/Tunable Electromagnetic Materials and Devices

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- Number: US 2012/0057616 A1
- Document ID: US20120057616A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/039,124
- Filed: 2011-03-02
- Published: 2012-03-08
- Earliest claimed: 2006-03-08
- Assignees: Los Alamos National Security, LLC
- Inventors: Willie J. Padilla; Richard Averitt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120057616A1

## CPC

- G01J 5/20: using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
- G01J 3/2803: {using photoelectric array detector}
- G01J 3/42: Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08)
- H10F 39/10: Integrated devices
- Y10T 428/24802: Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A composite material that is responsive to either electromagnetic or thermal radiation. The composite has a controllable structure that is either dynamically or tunably responsive to such radiation and comprises a metamaterial. Sensors, such as a bolometer, that incorporate the composite are also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An article of manufacture comprising:
a dielectric substrate, and
a planar array of split ring resonators on the substrate, each split ring resonator comprising double ring structure, each ring of the double ring structure comprised of a material selected from a transition metal and alloy thereof, each ring comprising an active region, the active region being a gap in the ring filled with a material selected from a semiconductor and a ferroelectric material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide, polypropylene, thermoplastic materials, poly(dimethylsiloxane), ferromagnetic materials, functional transition metal oxides, pyroelectric materials, semiconductors, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The article of manufacture of claim 1, further including a temperature sensor in communication with the dielectric substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein said temperature sensor comprises a thermocouple or thermistor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The article of manufacture of claim 3, further comprising a thermal link in between the dielectric substrate and the temperature sensor, said thermal link comprising a layer of at least one material selected from the group consisting of a metals, semiconductors, semi-metals, porous silicon, polymers, oligomers, organic-inorganic composites, oxides, borides, carbides, nitrides, silicides and combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the transition metal or alloy material of the split ring resonator is selected from copper, silver, gold, platinum, tungsten, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The article of manufacture of claim 5, further comprising a thermal bath coupled to the structure for dissipating heat from the structure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein said thermal bath is selected from a heat sink and a thermoelectric cooler.

### Claim 9

A terahertz switch structure comprising:
a dielectric substrate of gallium arsenide, and
a planar array of copper split ring resonators on the substrate, each split ring resonator having a thickness of 3 micrometers and an outer dimension of 36 micrometers and comprising a double ring structure, each ring of the double ring structure comprising a gap of approximately 2 micrometers, wherein said terahertz switch structure behaves as a terahertz switch when said gap is shorted out by a suitable photoexcitation of free carriers in the substrate which turns off an electric resonance of the terahertz switch structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The structure of claim 9, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises a thickness of 670 micrometers.