Fractal interwoven resonator based penta-band metamaterial absorbers for THz sensing and imaging

Abstract This paper presents a unique penta-band metamaterial absorber platform for terahertz imaging systems.The proposed fractal metamaterial absorber (FMMA) consists of fractal triangle section metasurfaces. By combining fractal resonators posing different operation skills in the same unit cell, the absorber shows multiband spectral response. The proposed unit cell structure operates at five near perfect absorption modes corresponding to the frequency bands of 1.1 THz, 3.4 THz, 4.9 THz, 5.9 THz, and 7.8 THz, respectively. Based on the fractal metamaterial absorber array, we also propose a sensing pixel design for bimaterial cantilever array sensing systems. The single pixel assembles 4 x 6 fractal resonator array and $$SiO_2$$ S i O 2 - Al bimaterial microcantilevers. The sensing region of the FMMA pixel can bend the bimaterial cantilevers effectively at multiple modes, enhancing the imaging capacity. The effective medium theory is executed to visualize the constitute parameters during the absorption and reveal the origin of the rising modes. The absorption mechanism is also discussed based on the surface current distributions and electric field profiles. The numerical outcomes prove that the proposed fractal metamaterial unit cell is a promising candidate as an absorbing platform for THz band sensing and imaging applications. The derived iterative formula used in the fractal design procedure is explained for further investigations of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) compatible compact absorber arrays.