title: Ultrafast optical switching of terahertz metamaterials fabricated on ErAs/GaAs nanoisland superlattices.
abstract: We demonstrate optical switching of electrically resonant terahertz planar metamaterials fabricated on ErAs/GaAs nanoisland superlattice substrates. Photoexcited charge carriers in the superlattice shunt the capacitive regions of the constituent elements, thereby modulating the resonant response of the metamaterials. A switching recovery time of 20 ps results from fast carrier recombination in the ErAs/GaAs superlattice substrates.
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico 87545, USA. chenht@lanl.gov
authors.forename: Hou-Tong
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Willie J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Joshua M O
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zide
authors.forename: Seth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bank
authors.forename: Arthur C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gossard
authors.forename: Antoinette J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Averitt