Patent attributes
Mechanically tunable electromagnetic and photonic devices featuring enhanced spectral tunability with minimal mechanical movement are provided. These nano/micro-electromechanically (N/MEMS) tunable elements, including filters and pixels, rely on leaky-mode resonance effects in subwavelength photonic lattices that constitute periodic wavelengths. Such elements can operate in reflection (bandstop) or transmission (bandpass) modes, and can be arranged in one-dimensional or two-dimensional arrays, or operated as single units, and their spectral regions are controlled by the element design. Input electromagnetic radiation illuminates the element and is then filtered, modulated, analyzed or tuned by the element. Mechanical motion alters the structural symmetry, and therefore, the tuning properties, of the nanostructured subwavelength resonance elements. Further, incorporating metals and dielectrics to generate coexisting plasmonic and leaky-mode resonance effects adds to the versatility of the potential applications.
