A microwave tool for studying dielectric metasurfaces

Abstract Our contribution focuses on methods relevant to teaching/learning in optics, electromagnetic wave theory, and materials science at post-secondary, tertiary, or higher education levels, as well as researching and applying new findings to teaching. In particular, this paper describes a technique for performing a quasi-optical (microwave) experiment to characterize artificial structures such as dielectric metasurfaces. Dielectric particles and their arrays bear different types of resonant modes, which can be the subject of study in experimental lessons in university teaching tasks and PhD students’ research. We describe a simple and cheap technique for sample preparation, an experimental measurement setup based on standard microwave equipment only, and methods for data acquisition and processing. The introduced routine from the sample fabrication to the result analysis could make undergraduate students see the electromagnetic waves in their essence toward a better understanding of how electromagnetic waves interact with optical nanostructures.