Broadband Absorption in Patterned Metal/Weakly-Absorbing-Spacer/Metal with Graded Photonic Super-Crystal

Abstract

It is challenging to realize the complete broadband absorption of near-infrared in thin optical devices. In this paper, we studied high light absorption in two devices: a stack of Au-pattern/insulator/Au-film and a stack of Au-pattern/weakly-absorbing-material/Au-film where the Au-pattern was structured in graded photonic super-crystal. We observed multiple-band absorption, including one near 1500 nm, in a stack of Au-pattern/spacer/Au-film. The multiple-band absorption is due to the gap surface plasmon polariton when the spacer thickness is less than 30 nm. Broadband absorption appears in the near-infrared when the insulator spacer is replaced by a weakly absorbing material. E-field intensity was simulated and confirmed the formation of gap surface plasmon polaritons and their coupling with Fabry–Pérot resonance.

Keywords

• light absorption
• gap surface plasmon polariton
• Fabry–Pérot resonance
• graded photonic super-crystal
• broadband absorption
• metal/insulator/metal