Terahertz aperture SNOM mapping of metamaterial coupled resonators

Metamaterials have emerged as the basis of a novel optoelectronic platform operating in the terahertz (THz) range, due to their versatility and strong light-matter interaction. The necessary design of efficient modulators and detectors requires a detailed investigation of metamaterial resonances and their interplay with an active medium, e.g. graphene. An aperture-SNOM (a-SNOM) system based on picosecond THz pulses was used to investigate the spectral characteristics of a set of lithographically tuned metamaterial coupled resonators. This approach allowed the mapping of the supported E-field of each resonator a few microns from the device plane, yielding bonding and antibonding modes reminiscent of electromagnetic induced transparency.