Perfect absorbers based on metal–insulator–metal structures in the visible region: a simple approach for practical applications

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 123; no. 1; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Kenanakis, G., Mavidis, Ch. P., Vasilaki, E., Katsarakis, N., Kafesaki, M., Economou, E. N., Soukoulis, C. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorbers; Absorption; Applied physics; Broadband; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Electrons; Incidence angle; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Nanofabrication; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Photovoltaic cells; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Solar cells; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Perfect Absorber; Triglycine Sulfate; Broadband Absorption; TiO2 Thin Film; TiO2
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-016-0711-6

Perfect absorbers based on metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures are proposed and demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, in the visible region. The proposed structures may possess either sharp or broadband absorption peaks, by simply choosing a single layer of the proposed MIM structure or building several layers of them, while no nanofabrication steps or structure patterning are required, and thus can be easily made to cover a large area. The highly efficient absorption of the MIM structures is maintained for both TE and TM incident polarization, and for angles of incidence up to 75°, indicating that the proposed perfect absorbers can be potentially deployed for solar cells applications and optics.