Indefinite Media Based on Wire Array Metamaterials for the THz and Mid‐IR

Abstract

Fibre drawing is used to fabricate indefinite media based on wire array metamaterials. Fibres containing arrays of indium wires embedded in polymer are drawn using an optical fibre draw tower, a technique that is intrinsically scalable to larger‐volume fabrication. During drawing, the surface tension of the liquid indium can result in fluctuations to the wire diameter through the Plateau–Rayleigh instability. This is investigated and minimised through a modification of the draw process to achieve wire diameters as low as 1 micrometer. Such wire array fibres are assembled and characterised as electric metamaterials through the resulting high‐pass filtering behaviour. By controlling the draw ratio, the fibre drawing technique is shown to produce electric metamaterials over a wide range of frequencies, from the THz through to the edge of the mid‐IR.