Elastomeric silicone substrates for terahertz fishnet metamaterials

Abstract

In this work, we characterize the electromagnetic properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and use this as a free-standing substrate for the realization of flexible fishnet metamaterials at terahertz frequencies. Across the 0.2–2.5 THz band, the refractive index and absorption coefficient of PDMS are estimated as 1.55 and 0–22 cm−1, respectively. Electromagnetic modeling, multi-layer flexible electronics microfabrication, and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy are used in the design, fabrication, and characterization of the metamaterials, respectively. The properties of PDMS add a degree of freedom to terahertz metamaterials, with the potential for tuning by elastic deformation or integrated microfluidics.