A Band-Switchable and Tunable THz Metamaterial Based on an Etched Vanadium Dioxide Thin Film

A band-switchable and tunable terahertz (THz) metamaterial based on a vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film was proposed in the THz frequency regime. The VO2 thin film with a high conductivity change rate and smooth phase transition characteristics was deposited. To obtain band switching characteristics and reduce THz wave loss, the VO2 thin film was etched in the form of a line. Two rectangular C-shaped resonators were configured to face each other, with an etched VO2 thin film line in between. When the VO2 thin film was in the insulator phase, the two resonators individually resonated, and when the VO2 thin film was in the metal phase, they were connected and resonated as one, showing band switching characteristics. According to the state of the VO2 thin film, the fabricated metamaterial resonated at 1.29 THz when the two resonators were electrically separated and resonated at 0.65 THz when the two resonators were electrically connected. In the band-switching process, the THz wave transmission characteristics were continuously tunable. The measurement results of the proposed structure clearly showed that the rectangular C-shaped metamaterial based on the etched VO2 thin film is capable of band switching and continuous transmission control. In the near future, band-switchable and tunable THz metamaterials based on etched VO2 thin films can be employed as key devices in THz wave 6G wireless communication technology.