Bistable switching in electromagnetically induced-transparency-like meta-molecule

We present a bistable electromagnetically induced-transparency-like meta-molecule configuration consisting of a microstrip line side-coupled with an open-ended comb line and a varactor-embedded split ring resonator. We find that such a configuration can generate an extremely high transmission contrast up to 15 dB between two bistable states in its transmission with a low bistability threshold of − 1.7 dBm. We also show that the sample length is shorter than one-twelfth of wavelength in the transmission line. These features may be useful in the applications based on nonlinear devices.