We analyze the design of ultrathin quarter-wave plates based on plasmonic metasurfaces. After exploring the general theoretical possibilities offered by thin surfaces to manipulate the impinging polarization, we propose optimal designs to realize quarter-wave metasurface plates, analyzing their frequency and angular response. Our designs may provide a large degree of linear polarization output for circularly polarized input over a broad bandwidth in the optical regime. The geometry may be implemented within currently available lithographic techniques and easily integrated with other optical devices for polarization manipulation, detection, and sensing at the nanoscale.

• Received 2 July 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.205428