Origin of strain-induced resonances in flexible terahertz metamaterials

Two types of flexible terahertz metamaterials were fabricated on polyethylene naphthalate(PEN) substrates. The unit cell of one type consists of two identical split-ring resonators(SRRs) that are arranged face-to-face(i.e., Flex Meta F); the unit cell of the other type has nothing different but is arranged back-to-back(i.e., Flex Meta B). Flex Meta F and Flex Meta B illustrate the similar transmission dips under zero strain because the excitation of fundamental inductive–capacitive(LC)resonance is mainly dependent on the geometric structure of individual SRR. However, if a gradually variant strain is applied to bend Flex Meta F and Flex Meta B, the new resonant peaks appear: in the case of Flex Meta F, the peaks are located at the lower frequencies; in the case of Flex Meta B, the peaks appear at the frequencies adjacent to the LC resonance. The origin and evolution of strain-induced resonances are studied. The origin is ascribed to the detuning effect and the different responses to strain from Flex Meta F and Flex Meta B are associated with the coupling effect. These findings may improve the understanding on flexible terahertz metamaterials and benefit their applications in flexible or curved devices.