The efficient harvesting of electromagnetic (EM) waves by sub-wavelength nanostructures can result in perfect light absorption in the narrow or broad frequency range. In recent years, the concept of lithography-free planar light perfect absorbers has attracted much attention in different parts of the EM spectrum, owing to their ease of fabrication and high functionality. In this talk, we will review the material and architecture requirements for the realization of light perfect absorption using these multilayer metamaterial designs from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (FIR) wavelength regimes. We will summarize our latest studies on the use of metamaterial designs for energy conversion, filtering, and sensing applications using lithography-free light perfect absorbers. We will also discuss the progress, challenges, and outlook of this field to outline its future direction.
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