Metamaterials based on the phase transition of VO ₂

In this article, we present a comprehensive review on recent research progress in design and fabrication of active tunable metamaterials and devices based on phase transition of VO 2 . Firstly, we introduce mechanisms of the metal-to-insulator phase transition (MIPT) in VO 2 investigated by ultrafast THz spectroscopies. By analyzing the THz spectra, the evolutions of MIPT in VO 2 induced by different external excitations are described. The superiorities of using VO 2 as building blocks to construct highly tunable metamaterials are discussed. Subsequently, the recently demonstrated metamaterial devices based on VO 2 are reviewed. These metamaterials devices are summarized and described in the categories of working frequency. In each working frequency range, representative metamaterials based on VO 2 with different architectures and functionalities are reviewed and the contributions of the MIPT of VO 2 are emphasized. Finally, we conclude the recent reports and provide a prospect on the strategies of developing future tunable metamaterials based on VO 2 .