Mechanism of optical terahertz-transmission modulation in an organic/inorganic semiconductor interface and its application to active metamaterials

Terahertz (THz) transmission modulation through copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-coated Si under various laser light irradiation conditions was investigated using THz time-domain spectroscopy. The charge carrier transfer from Si to CuPc is crucial for photo-induced metallization, and the thickness of the CuPc layer is a critical parameter for achieving high charge carrier density for metallization. Transmission through a split-ring resonator array metamaterial, fabricated on CuPc-coated Si, can be efficiently modulated by laser light irradiation. Our findings may open the way for various types of metamaterials using organic conjugated materials that are suitable for easy device fabrication using printing technologies.