An interference coating of metamaterial as an ultrathin light absorber in the violet-to-infrared regime.

A metamaterial with brief and ultrathin structure performs high efficiency in light absorption. An upright aluminum nanorod array (Al NRA) is obliquely deposited, measured, and analyzed its optical property. The Al NRA performs high efficiency of light absorption and low reflectance simultaneously. Based on the measured refractive index and impedances, the wave propagation through the Al NRA is traced to demonstrate the destructive interference that leads to antireflection. According to the analysis of wave tracing, an Al semicontinuous film with thickness of 15nm is introduced under an Al NRA with thickness of only 245nm as a brief and thin two-layered structure. The broadband and polarization-independent light absorption is measured over the violet-to-infrared regime.