Hybrid metamaterial-LC based structures with large tunability range from the microwave to the terahertz region

This work aimed to exploit a new class of artificial materials exhibiting unconventional properties, to build new devices for a wild range of applications, starting from the microwave region up to the terahertz regime. We focused on the design and fabrication of metamaterials with unit cells based on split ring resonators SRRs and other type of resonators for the development of tunable negative refractive index metamaterials. The basic idea is to exploit the nematic liquid crystals properties, whose orientation can be magnetically or electrically controlled, to achieve the dynamic frequency modulation of the fabricated metamaterials, in order to build innovative devices for applications from the microwave up to the THz region, where the metal loss can be still maintained at a reasonable level.