Impedance matched thin metamaterials make metals absorbing

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https://www.nature.com/articles/srep03203

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https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03203
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/18770

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UMBC Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department

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2013-11-13

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journal articles
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Mattiucci, N., Bloemer, M., Aközbek, N. et al. Impedance matched thin metamaterials make metals absorbing. Sci Rep 3, 3203 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03203

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This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.

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Abstract

Metals are generally considered good reflectors over the entire electromagnetic spectrum up to their plasma frequency. Here we demonstrate an approach to tailor their absorbing characteristics based on the effective metamaterial properties of thin, periodic metallo-dielectric multilayers by exploiting a broadband, inherently non-resonant, surface impedance matching mechanism. Based on this mechanism, we design, fabricate and test omnidirectional, thin (<1 micron), polarization independent, extremely efficient absorbers (in principle being capable to reach A > 99%) over a frequency range spanning from the UV to the IR. Our approach opens new venues to design cost effective materials for many applications such as thermo-photovoltaic energy conversion devices, light harvesting for solar cells, flat panel display, infrared detectors, stray light reduction, stealth and others.