Polarization Management of Terahertz Extraordinary Optical Transmission through Ultracompact L-Shaped Subwavelength Patterns on Metal Films

Compact and efficient terahertz (THz) polarization conversion components are of importance for applications where the small dimension of the laser device/system is critical. Here, we propose an ultracompact L-shaped subwavelength patterns on metal films to realize the THz polarization management. By optimizing the geometric parameters of single-layered and double-layered patterns, the linear-polarized THz incidence can be converted to elliptical polarized output or rotated by 90° efficiently due to the THz extraordinary optical transmission phenomenon. The physical mechanism is explored by mode analysis using numerical and analytical modeling. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.