Waveguide integrated reconfigurable all-dielectric metasurfaces

Abstract

Recently reconfigurable phase change chalcogenide based metamaterials/metasurfaces have shown great promise in the realization of high speed large contrast all-optical switching and beam-steering devices with built-in memory functionality at a fraction of a wavelength in size across the ultraviolet to infrared frequency range. To incorporate these devices into current telecommunication platforms, integration with photonic waveguide architectures is a must as they present the most mature, widely used commercial photonic device platform today. Here, we present a new class of waveguide-integrated reconfigurable all-dielectric metasurfaces utilizing high refractive index phase change chalcogenides and discuss the unique considerations, design, and physical principles that are essential for integrating such nanostructures into waveguides where illumination is provided through controlled evanescent coupling of guided modes into the metamaterial structure.