Manipulating the speed of light has never been more exciting since electromagnetic induced transparency and its classical analogs led to slow light. Here, we report the manipulation of light group velocity in a terahertz metamaterial without needing a dark resonator, but utilizing instead two concentric split-ring bright resonators (meta-atoms) exhibiting a bright Fano resonance in close vicinity of a bright Lorentzian resonance to create a narrowband transmittance. Unlike earlier reports, the bright Fano resonance does not stem from an asymmetry of meta-atoms or an interaction between them. Additionally, we develop a method to determine the metamaterial "effective thickness", which quantifies the influence of the substrate on the metamaterial response and has remained challenging to estimate so far. By doing so, very good agreement between simulated and measured group delays and velocities is accomplished. The proposed structure and method will be useful in designing optical buffers, delay lines, and ultra-sensitive sensors.
We demonstrate a new class of "coherent" metamaterials, where narrow band EIT-like transmission/reflection resonances correspond to a truly collective response of the entire ordered metamaterial array. The resonances appear as a result of coherent excitations of strongly interacting ordered meta-molecules and are controlled by the size of the array. Coherent maetamaterials provide a promising platform for various intriguing applications including slow-light and polarization controlling devices and the "lasing spaser", which we illustrate in a number of microwave, THz and optical experiments. Also, for the first time we experimentally show that resonant properties and losses in a photonic version of the metamaterial can be controlled through optical gain medium. (from session titled: Metamaterials - from modelling and fabrication to application).