Reconfigurable high-Q terahertz filtering of VO2-based metamaterials using optical tunneling

•We propose a reconfigurable terahertz band-pass filter with an ultra-high Q factor up to 273 by using the optical tunneling effects.•The filter based on the metamaterial/VO2 hybrid structure has a large modulation depth of 96.4% with two broad rejection sidebands.•By tuning the thickness of cavity layer, the filter can be designed for a series of transmission wavelengths, and further accomplish the switch between the narrow band-pass filtering and wideband reflection. Up to date, reconfigurable terahertz (THz) band-pass filters based on the design of metamaterials with vanadium dioxide (VO2) have been investigated extensively. However, VO2-based THz metamaterials with high-quality tunable narrowband transmission and good stop-band rejection have yet to be reported, which are essential for THz wave filtering components or systems. Here, we propose a reconfigurable filter in combination with a dielectric metastructure and a VO2 thin film. Utilizing the optical tunneling effects of a cavity layer, the filter has a high band-pass transmission up to 98% at 0.246 THz with a narrow bandwidth of 0.0009 THz, an ultra-high Q-factor of 273, and two broad nearly-suppressed sidebands. The transmission intensity can be modulated by the phase transition of VO2, and the modulation depth is as high as 96.4%. By efficiently tuning the cavity layer thickness, the filter can be designed for a series of transmission wavelengths and further accomplish the switch between the narrow band-pass filtering and wideband reflection. Moreover, the manipulation of the incident angle and polarization can be adopted as an additional degree to achieve a similar switching function. Our study implies a potential for developing various THz applications, where reconfigurable high-Q THz filtering is required.