Optical performance of a dielectric-metal-dielectric antireflective absorber structure

Abstract

The absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a planar structure, consisting of a three-layer dielectric-metal-dielectric coating on a metal backreflector, is analyzed. The conditions for total absorption are derived. Our analysis shows that, in contrast with bi-layer structures, the calculated layer thicknesses are feasible to fabricate for any metal. The proposed absorber design is of potential use in infrared, terahertz, and longer wavelength detectors and for radiant energy harvesting devices.

Interference-Enhanced Absorption of Visible and Near-Infrared Radiation in Ultrathin Film Coatings

“…Interference-enhanced absorption in stratified media has been studied since the 1930s [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. However, in recent years, a new wave of interest has emerged in this research topic [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]. Among the new works, it is worth highlighting the paper by Kats et al on the absorption of light in ultrathin semiconductor layers on a metal substrate [6].…”