Nanostructured graphene-based hyperbolic metamaterial performing as a wide-angle near infrared electro-optical switch.

We propose a nanostructured hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) that can make the transition between elliptic and hyperbolic regimes in the near infrared (IR) frequency range. This switchable HMM is a slab made of a periodic stack of metal/Al(2)O(3)/graphene/Al(2)O(3)/metal nano-layers. By tuning the graphene conductivity via tuning its chemical potential, through a variable external bias, the response of this highly anisotropic medium to a monochromatic TM incident light can be switched between a positive/negative refraction regime and a negative refraction/no-transmission regime. The proposed structure is suitable for applications such as beam splitters, modulators, four-port devices, and optical gates.