Optical absorption of hyperbolic metamaterial with stochastic surfaces

Jingjing Liu, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Gururaj V. Naik, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Satoshi Ishii, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Clayton Devault, Purdue University
Alexandra Boltasseva, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Vladimir M. Shalaev, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Evgenii Narimanov, Purdue University, Purdue University

Abstract

We investigate the absorption properties of planar hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) consisting of metal-dielectric multilayers, which support propagating plane waves with anomalously large wavevectors and high photonic-density-of-states over a broad bandwidth. An interface formed by depositing indium-tin-oxide nanoparticles on an HMM surface scatters light into the high-k propagating modes of the metamaterial and reduces reflection. We compare the reflection and absorption from an HMM with the nanoparticle cover layer versus those of a metal film with the same thickness also covered with the nanoparticles. It is predicted that the super absorption properties of HMM show up when exceedingly large amounts of high-k modes are excited by strong plasmonic resonances. In the case that the coupling interface is formed by non-resonance scatterers, there is almost the same enhancement in the absorption of stochastically perturbed HMM compared to that of metal. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America

Discipline(s)

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology