Electrochemically Actuated Metasurfaces

In this talk I will explore the hidden potential of electrochemically actuated metasurfaces. Electrochemical actuation is unique in that it provides for control over both the volume expansion of a scatterer as well as the free electron density for permittivity control. I will explore this freedom in dynamic tuning of titanium dioxide and silicon-based metasurfaces, materials already popularized in the field of photonics for their high index and low loss throughout the visible spectrum. Using these materials, we leverage electrochemical intercalation of lithium to initiate phase changes in a continuously tunable, reversible, and bi-stable manner, using bias voltages that are an order of magnitude less than similar devices.