Manipulating light polarizations with a hyperbolic metamaterial waveguide.

In this Letter we demonstrate that a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) waveguide array exhibits a giant modal birefringence between the TE and TM modes by utilization of a rectangular waveguide cross section. We further reveal that the designed polarization manipulation device using such a HMM waveguide array with a subwavelength thickness presents the ability to function as a polarizer or quarter- or half-wave plate that enables transmission only for electromagnetic wave (EW) that is polarized at a specific direction, or converting linearly polarized EW to circularly and elliptically polarized EW or rotating linearly polarized EW with 90° at terahertz (THz) frequencies. A giant modal birefringence between the TE and TM modes from 0.8 to 2 between 2 and 4.8 THz is achievable, which is dozens of times higher than conventional quartz birefringent crystals for THz waves. This polarization manipulation device has the performance merits including high transmission efficiency, ultra-compactness, and tunable birefringence, offering a promising approach to manipulating the polarization states of EW.