Manipulation of Terahertz Radiation Using Vanadium Dioxide

Vanadium dioxide(VO2) is a phase transition material which undergoes a reversible metal-insulator transition(MIT) when triggered by thermal, photo, electrical, and even stress. The huge conduction change of VO2 renders it a promising material for terahertz(THz) manipulation. In this paper, some interesting works concerning the growth and characteristics of the VO2 film are selectively reviewed. A switching of THz radiation by photo-driven VO2 film is demonstrated. Experiments indicate an ultrafast optical switching to THz transmission within 8 picoseconds, and a switching ratio reaches to over 80% during a wide frequency range from 0.3 THz to 2.5 THz.