Excitation of multiple trapped-eigenmodes in terahertz metamolecule lat.

We report on the excitation of sharp Fano-like resonances in lattices of metamolecules composed of two differing types of metaatoms. The proposed structures exhibit modes originating from the individual metaatoms as well as a very sharp mode from the collective excitation of the metamolecule lattice as a whole. Next-generation thin film sensors (e.g., for bio/chemical hazard detectors) could especially benefit from such artificial materials. Having multiple modes at different spectral positions enables the characterization of dispersive materials, while the high Q-factors of the eigenmodes lead to a very high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]