Switching between positive and negative permeability by photoconductive coupling for modulation of electromagnetic radiation

We introduce a modulation mechanism for negative index materials (NIM) in the GHz frequency range by means of photoconductive coupling. This leads the way to a monolithically integrated modulable NIM achieved by conventional microfabrication techniques. The photosensitive material is deposited in the gap of the split ring resonator (SRR) structure and the response in terms of S-parameters is simulated using a high frequency structure simulator (HFSSTM) program. Only a single SRR particle is simulated to demonstrate total suppression of resonance amplitude and without any loss of generality the concept is applicable to a NIM comprising of both negative permeability and negative permittivity. This simple modulation of refractive indices can lead to novel optical device developments with the potential to dramatically improve the performance of existing phased array antennas, optical beam-forming networks, antenna remoting and transportation of RF power through fiber.