Optical Devices and Applications of Terahertz Metamaterials

Terahertz (THz) technology is entering a transformative phase. Once considered an inaccessible region between the microwave and infrared bands, the 0.1–10 THz range has rapidly evolved into one of the most dynamic frontiers in modern electromagnetics. Advances in sources, detectors, ultrafast spectroscopy, and computational modeling have enabled a new generation of THz devices with real potential in imaging, sensing, biomedical diagnostics, security screening, and ultra-high-bandwidth wireless communication.Metamaterials play a central role in this progress. These engineered subwavelength structures offer unprecedented control over effective permittivity and permeability, enabling tailored absorption, transmission, modulation, and polarization responses beyond the limits of conventional materials. Yet designing THz metamaterial devices that are simultaneously compact, tunable, multi-frequency, and compatible with integrated platforms remains a significant challenge.This Research Topic brings together recent advances in the design, modeling, and demonstration of multi-frequency THz metamaterial devices. We highlight contributions spanning electromagnetic theory, computational physics, materials science, and applied device engineering, with emphasis on structural innovation, active material platforms, and inverse-design methodologies. We particularly welcome work demonstrating improvements in frequency selectivity, transmission efficiency, polarization control, and dynamic reconfigurability, as well as studies that translate device-level advances into enhanced imaging, sensing, and short-range communication performance.We welcome empirical, computational, and theoretical contributions that advance the design, fabrication, and integration of multi-frequency terahertz metamaterial devices. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):o Multi-band, broadband, and ultra-broadband terahertz metamaterial absorberso Tunable and reconfigurable metamaterial structures using electrical, optical, thermal, magnetic, or mechanical controlo Active material platforms for terahertz metamaterials (graphene, vanadium dioxide, liquid crystals, phase-change materials)o Polarization- and frequency-selective surfaces, modulators, filters, and beam-steering elementso Inverse design and machine-learning-assisted optimization of terahertz metamaterialso Compact, on-chip integration strategies and packaging approaches for terahertz metamaterial componentso Applications in terahertz imaging, biomedical diagnosis, security inspection, environmental sensing, and short-range wireless communicationo Forward-looking perspectives on the future of integrated terahertz metamaterial systemsWe welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods, Brief Research Reports, and Perspectives. Topic editors: Jun Zhu, Zao Yi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81664/optical-devices-and-applications-of-terahertz-metamaterials