Multistability in Coupled Nonlinear Metasurfaces

Multistability, namely, the property of obtaining different outputs depending on the past values of the input, is the key effect behind memory components in a variety of electronic, chemical, biological, and quantum systems. Two electromagnetic metasurfaces, with nonlinear admittances of Kerr type, are found to manifest significant multistability regarding their transmissivity. Such a feature is owed to the discontinuous variation of the response once the nature of the material changes from dielectric to plasmonic and vice versa, occurring at different levels of incoming power. The conditions for giving sizable hysteresis loops, with respect to either the input intensity or its operational wavelength, are determined. The reported results are expected to assist the modeling of nonlinear metasurfaces and open unexplored opportunities toward the efficient design of photonic memory elements.