Mid-infrared absorption, emission, and non-linear response in extreme sub-wavelength films

Zarko Sakotic; Amogh Raju; Wooje Chang; Alexander Ware; Félix Estévez Hilario; Madeline Brown; Divya Hungund; Yonathan Magendzo; Michelle Povinelli; Thomas Truskett; Delia Milliron; Daniel Wasserman

doi:10.1117/12.3025541

2 October 2024 Mid-infrared absorption, emission, and non-linear response in extreme sub-wavelength films

Zarko Sakotic, Amogh Raju, Wooje Chang, Alexander Ware, Félix Estévez Hilario, Madeline Brown, Divya Hungund, Yonathan Magendzo, Michelle Povinelli, Thomas Truskett, Delia Milliron, Daniel Wasserman

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13110, Active Photonic Platforms (APP) 2024; 131100F (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3025541
Event: Nanoscience + Engineering, 2024, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We present an analytical formalism to predict the minimal thickness of a film, with an intrinsic absorption resonance, required to perfectly absorb all incident light. We show that on resonance, perfect absorption can be achieved at thicknesses well below one-thousandth of a free-space wavelength. The developed analytical formalism is validated numerically using rigorous coupled wave analysis and finite element techniques, and experimentally using thin-film superlattices of tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals with collective plasmon resonances mimicking the absorption resonances considered in our analytical model. We further consider perfectly absorbing structures consisting of thin, non-resonant, but high loss, films, and show that perfect absorption can often only be achieved at film thicknesses well below what can be fabricated experimentally. We overcome this limitation by introducing the concept of thin-film dilution, and show, analytically, numerically, and experimentally, that these diluted films can accurately mimic the theoretical optical properties of nanometer, or even sub-atomic, thickness films. This work provides a path towards the rational design of ultra-thin absorbers for bolometric or non-linear optical applications.

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(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Zarko Sakotic, Amogh Raju, Wooje Chang, Alexander Ware, Félix Estévez Hilario, Madeline Brown, Divya Hungund, Yonathan Magendzo, Michelle Povinelli, Thomas Truskett, Delia Milliron, and Daniel Wasserman "Mid-infrared absorption, emission, and non-linear response in extreme sub-wavelength films", Proc. SPIE 13110, Active Photonic Platforms (APP) 2024, 131100F (2 October 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3025541

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