Electrostatically switchable MEMS terahertz metamaterial with polarization-insensitive characteristics

Micromachined terahertz metamaterial with polarization insensitive switching for both inductive-capacitive and dipolar resonances is experimentally demonstrated. Eight microcantilevers placed at each corner of an octagon ring provides the desired rotational symmetry and out-of-plane actuated electrostatic microcantilevers preserve symmetry at different metamaterial configurations. The switching range for inductive-capacitive and dipolar resonances are 0.16 and 0.37 THz, respectively and maximum of 70% change in transmission occurs at 0.57 THz.