The applications of adaptive optics extend across multiple sectors, encompassing areas such as LiDAR, biological and chemical sensing, and free-space communications. In this study, we report on the design, fabrication, testing, and modeling of electrically reconfigurable metasurfaces using a low-loss high contrast phase change material, Ge2Sb2Se4Te integrated with an IR-transparent silicon microheater. Through this work, we introduce a reliable architecture for switching PCM-based metasurfaces within an integrated circuit configuration and the capability of controlling the transmission of electromagnetic waves through the precise stimulation of PCM-based pixels, each spanning a few hundred microns, over numerous cycles. By leveraging PCM-based pixels, we unlock the potential to create metasurfaces encompassing a diverse range of functionalities such as dielectric filters, metalens, or beam steering devices, which is governed by the design of the meta-atoms.
Phase change materials (PCMs) are commonly used in rewritable optical disks and memory devices. Recently, there have been efforts to incorporate PCMs into optical components and photonic circuits for developing reconfigurable optics, which necessitates the use of larger-scale PCMs. However, enlarging PCM-based devices has proven challenging due to difficulties in the switching mechanism, which demands significant thermal energy density. In this study, through computational models and experimental observations, we explore the effective parameters in phase transformation of Ge2Sb2Te5 and Ge2Sb2Se4Te, with areal length scale on the order of tens of micrometers. Our findings offer insight regarding the development of next-generation adaptive optics such as filters, zoom lenses, and beam steering devices.
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