A spectrally selective gap surface-plasmon-based nanoantenna emitter compatible with multiple thermal infrared applications

Abstract

Wavelength-selective nanoantenna emitters have attracted considerable attention due to their widespread applications ranging from thermal radiation management to thermophotovoltaics. In this paper, we design a wavelength-selective nanoantenna emitter based on the excitation of gap-surface plasmon modes using a metal-insulator-metal configuration (silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) sandwiched between silver (Ag) layers) for satisfying multiple infrared applications. The proposed design, which is called design I, realizes triple narrowband perfect absorptions at the resonance wavelengths of 1524 nm, 2279 nm, and 6000 nm, which perfectly match the atmospheric absorption bands while maintaining relatively low emissivity in the atmospheric transparency windows of 3−5 µm and 8−12 µm. Later, the functionality of design I is extended, which is called design II, to include a broadband absorption at the near-infrared region to minimize the solar irradiation reflection from the nanoantenna emitter. Finally, singleand three-layer graphene are introduced to provide a real-time tuning of the infrared signature of the proposed nanoantenna emitter (design II). It is also demonstrated that the three-layer graphene structure can suppress an undesired absorption resonance wavelength related to the intrinsic vibrational modes (optical phonons) of the SiO 2 layer by 53.19% compared to 25.53% for the single-layer one. The spectral analysis of design I is validated using both analytical and numerical approaches where the numerical simulation domain is extended for the analysis of design II. The thermal characteristic analyses of design I and design II (without/with graphene layers) reveal that infrared signatures of the blackbody radiation are significantly reduced for the whole wavelength spectrum at least by 96% and 91% within a wide temperature ranging from room temperature to 500 K, respectively.

Wafer‐Scale 200 mm Metal Oxide Infrared Metasurface with Tailored Differential Emissivity Response in the Atmospheric Windows

“…Materials with responses tailored to this range have broad applications. In particular, lightweight, low volume, and large-area treatments that are able to control the spectral emissivity profile of surfaces, have been shown to be of interest for thermal management through radiative cooling, [23][24][25] spectrally selective detectors and emitters, [8,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32] infrared imaging, [28,33,34] polarization control, [35][36][37] sensing, [38][39][40][41][42] and defense. [43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52] Engineering of the electromagnetic properties of materials over the different bands in mid-IR is therefore of considerable interest for controlling the reflectivity, absorption, and emissivity spectral response.…”

A Transmissive All-Dielectric Metasurface-Based Nanoantenna Array for Selectively Manipulation of Thermal Radiation

“…Therefore, reducing the emitted waves from the surfaces of targets within atmospheric windows and permitting high emission within non-atmospheric window (5−8 µm) is a robust approach to overcome the high temperature/less radiation paradox and to balance the thermal emission utilized in the IR camouflage and radiative cooling applications. As a result, wavelength-selective metamaterial-based designs [5]- [8] are proposed in which the optical absorption response of a structure is engineered due to the connection to the surface emissivity of that structure at thermodynamic equilibrium based on Kirchhoff's radiation law [1]- [4]. Having a perfect absorption resonance within the non-atmospheric window helps to reduce coated targets' temperature, which causes thermal balance and radiative heat exchange between the targets and low-temperature surroundings.…”

Highly One-Way Electromagnetic Wave Transmission Based on Outcoupling of Surface Plasmon Polaritons to Radiation Modes

“…Such optical-diode property can be obtained by breaking the Lorentz reciprocity condition in the use of magneto-optical materials, nonlinear media, or spatial-temporal modulations of refractive indices. Recently, artificially engineered subwavelength metamaterials have opened up tremendous opportunities to develop versatile optical and terahertz devices offering great control at the unit cell level [1]- [6]. Optical devices with an asymmetric transmission (AT) or specifically one-way transmission characteristic can also be realized using artificial structures including photonic crystals, subwavelength metallic/dielectric gratings, metamaterials and their planar versions called metasurfaces [7].…”