Multifunctionality in vanadium dioxide-integrated metamaterials for switching between dual-band perfect absorption and asymmetric transmission

Abstract In this work, we present a theoretical proposal for an actively tunable metamaterial design that integrates vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ). This VO 2 -integrated design demonstrates the ability to switch between dual-band perfect absorption and asymmetric transmission (AT) functionalities in the near-infrared and mid-infrared spectral ranges. By utilizing the unique properties of VO 2 , our proposed device achieves broadband absorption across approximately 2.47 μm with polarization independence when VO 2 is in its metallic state. Furthermore, it exhibits narrowband absorption with polarization correlation, reaching a linear dichroism value of approximately 0.704. On the other hand, when VO 2 is in its insulating state, the metamaterial structure realizes AT of 0.418 for circularly polarized light. We provide physical insight into the operating mechanisms through impedance matching analysis and electric field distributions. The integration of VO 2 in this dynamically tunable, multifunctional metamaterial design offers a novel approach to developing reconfigurable nanophotonic and nanosystem technologies.