Open Access
Experimental demonstration of deeply subwavelength dielectric sensing with epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) waveguides
(American Institute of Physics, 2022) Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Engheta, Nader; Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
In this Letter, an all metallic sensor based on ε-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterials is studied both numerically and experimentally when working at microwave frequencies. To emulate an ENZ medium, a sensor is made by using a narrow hollow rectangular waveguide, working near the cutoff frequency of its fundamental TE 10 mode. The performance of the sensor is systematically evaluated by placing subwavelength dielectric analytes (with different sizes and relative permittivities) within the ENZ waveguide and moving them along the propagation and transversal axes. It is experimentally demonstrated how this ENZ sensor is able to detect deeply subwavelength dielectric bodies of sizes up to 0.04λ and height 5 × 10 −3 λ with high sensitivities (and the figure of merit) up to 0.05 1/RIU (∼0.6 1/GHz) and 0.6 1/RIU when considering the sensor working as a frequency- or amplitude-shift-based device, respectively.
Open Access
Dielectric sensing of deeply subwavelength analytes using epsilon-near-zero waveguides
(IEEE, 2024-10-08) Lezaun Capdevila, Carlos; Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
The advent of metamaterials brought new wave-matter interaction paradigms to manipulate field and waves at will. Their applications are numerous: antennas, lenses, invisibility cloaking, computing, vortex beams and more. In turn, epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterials opened up new phenomena for light manipulation due to their exotic propagation constant, wavenumber and characteristic impedance. In 2008, it was demonstrated that a rectangular waveguide can emulate ENZ media by working near the cutoff frequency [1]. Moreover, the incredible field confinement inside the ENZ waveguide provided interesting features for sensing applications [2]. Our work further develops the idea of a dielectric body sensor based on a ENZ waveguide by considering an analyte partially filling the waveguide [3] and demonstrating empirically the setup [4].
Open Access
Phase reversal technique applied to fishnet metalenses
(Hindawi, 2018) Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Minin, Igor V.; Minin, Oleg V.; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
In this work, the fishnet metamaterial is applied to several converging metalenses by combining the zoning, reference phase, and phase reversal techniques. First, the zoning and reference phase techniques are implemented in several metalenses at 55 GHz ( λ 0 = 5.45 m m ) with a short focal length of 1.5 λ 0 . Then, the phase reversal technique is applied to these metalenses by switching from a concave to a convex profile in order to change the phase distribution inside of them. The designs are evaluated both numerically and experimentally demonstrating that chromatic dispersion (the shift of the position of the focus at different frequencies) is reduced when using the phase-reversed profiles. It is shown how the position of the focus remains at the same location within a relatively broadband frequency range of ~4% around the design frequency without affecting the overall behaviour of the metalenses. The best performance is achieved with the design that combines both reference phase and phase reversal techniques, with an experimental position of the focus of 1.75 λ 0 , reduced side lobes, and a power enhancement of 6.5 dB. The metalenses designed here may find applications in situations where a wideband response and low side lobes are required because of the reduced chromatic aberrations of the focus.
Open Access
All-dielectric periodic terajet waveguide using an array of coupled cuboids
(AIP Publishing, 2015) Minin, Igor V.; Minin, Oleg V.; Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
In this paper, the recently proposed technique to produce photonic jets (terajets at terahertz (THz) frequencies) using 3D dielectric cuboids is applied in the design of a mesoscale cuboid-chain wave- guide. The chains are basically designed with several dielectric cubes with side 1 wavelength placed periodically along the axial z-axis and separated by an air-gap. Based on this, a systematic study of the focusing properties and wave guiding of this chain is performed when the air-gap between the dielectric cubes is changed from 0.25 wavelengths to 3 wavelengths with the best performance achieved at 2.5 wavelengths.An analysis when losses are included in the cubes is also done, demonstrating a robust performance. Finally, the wave guiding is experimentally demonstrated at sub-THz frequencies with a good agreement with numerical results. The simulation results of focusing and transport properties are carried out using Finite Integration Technique. The results here presented may be scaled to any frequency ranges such as millimeter, sub-millimeter, and optical frequencies.
Open Access
Controlling the direction of propagation of surface plasmons via graded index effective dielectric media
(IEEE, 2019) Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
In this work, we propose a mechanism to steer and tailor surface plasmon propagation by using graded index concepts. In this approach, a block of dielectric with fixed thickness is placed on top of a semi-infinite metal. The beam steerers are then designed by simply changing the height of the dielectric in the direction perpendicular to the propagation axis. The analytical design is presented and several structures are evaluated with the ability to steer the incoming surface plasmons at any desired output angle.
Open Access
On the performance of the zoned fishnet metamaterial lens with positive and negative reference phase
(IEEE, 2016) Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Minin, Igor V.; Minin, Oleg V.; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
In this letter, several converging fishnet metalenses are designed using both the zoning and reference phase techniques. They are engineered with a focal length of 1.5λ0 at the design frequency of 55 GHz (λ0 = 5.45 mm) at which the fishnet metamaterial has an effective refractive index of nlens = ∼0.68. Three metalenses are analyzed—with positive, negative, and without reference phase—in order to compare their performance. The focal properties are evaluated both numerically and experimentally, demonstrating a good agreement between them. The best performance is achieved for the zoned metalens with positive reference phase,with an experimental power enhancement at the focal length of 6.2 dB, better axial resolution (0.65λ0 ), and reduced lateral lobes compared to other designs
Open Access
Highly efficient focusing of terahertz waves with an ultrathin superoscillatory metalens: experimental demonstration
(Wiley, 2021-05-06) Legaria Lerga, Santiago; Teniente Vallinas, Jorge; Kuznetsov, Sergei A.; Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
The performance of an ultrathin (thickness < 0.04λ 0) metasurface superoscillatory lens (metaSOL) is experimentally demonstrated in the terahertz (THz) range. The metaSOL is designed using two different hexagonal unit cells to improve the efficiency and properties of the conventional transparent–opaque zoning approach. The focusing metastructure produces, at a frequency f exp = 295 GHz, a sharp focal spot 8.9λ exp away from its output surface with a transversal resolution of 0.52λ exp (≈25% below the resolution limit imposed by diffraction), a power enhancement of 18.2 dB, and very low side lobe level (−13 dB). Resolution below the diffraction limit is demonstrated in a broad fractional operation bandwidth of 18%. The focusing capabilities of the proposed metaSOL show its potential use in a range of applications such as THz imaging, microscopy, and communications.
Open Access
Overcoming the diffraction limit with high-index dielectric particles
(IEEE, 2019) Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
In this communication, we propose and demonstrate the ability to produce photonic nanojets using high refractive index dielectric particles immersed in air. An extremely narrow focus is produced just at the output surface of the proposed 2D and 3D particles with a spatial resolution of similar to 0.14 lambda(0) and similar to 0.06 lambda(0), respectively. In addition to the focusing performance, the imaging capabilities is also studied by introducing metallic spheres within the region of the photonic nanojet demonstrating that distances between objects as small as similar to 0.06 lambda(0) can be distinguished with the proposed structures.
Open Access
Super-oscillatory metalens at terahertz for enhanced focusing with reduced side lobes
(MDPI, 2018) Legaria Lerga, Santiago; Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
In this paper, we design and numerically demonstrate an ultra-thin super-oscillatory metalens with a resolution below the diffraction limit. The zones of the lens are implemented using metasurface concepts with hexagonal unit cells. This way, the transparency and, hence, efficiency is optimized, compared to the conventional transparent–opaque zoning approach that introduces, inevitably, a high reflection in the opaque regions. Furthermore, a novel two-step optimization technique, based on evolutionary algorithms, is developed to reduce the side lobes and boost the intensity at the focus. After the design process, we demonstrate that the metalens is able to generate a focal spot of 0.46λ0 (1.4 times below the resolution limit) at the design focal length of 10λ0 with reduced side lobes (the side lobe level being approximately −11 dB). The metalens is optimized at 0.327 THz, and has been validated with numerical simulations.
Open Access
Experimental realization of an epsilon-near-zero graded-index metalens at terahertz frequencies
(American Physical Society, 2017) Pacheco-Peña, Víctor; Engheta, Nader; Kuznetsov, Sergei A.; Gentselev, Alexandr; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
The terahertz band has been historically hindered by the lack of efficient generators and detectors, but a series of recent breakthroughs have helped to effectively close the “terahertz gap.” A rapid development of terahertz technology has been possible thanks to the translation of revolutionary concepts from other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Among them, metamaterials stand out for their unprecedented ability to control wave propagation and manipulate electromagnetic response of matter. They have become a workhorse in the development of terahertz devices such as lenses, polarizers, etc., with fascinating features. In particular, epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterials have attracted much attention in the past several years due to their unusual properties such as squeezing, tunneling, and supercoupling where a wave traveling inside an electrically small channel filled with an ENZ medium can be tunneled through it, reducing reflections and coupling most of its energy. Here, we design and experimentally demonstrate an ENZ graded-index (GRIN) metamaterial lens operating at terahertz with a power enhancement of 16.2 dB, using an array of narrow hollow rectangular waveguides working near their cutoff frequencies. This is a demonstration of an ENZ GRIN device at terahertz and can open the path towards other realizations of similar devices enabling full quasioptical processing of terahertz signals.