One-way and near-absolute polarization insensitive near-perfect absorption by using an all-dielectric metasurface

Abstract

In this Letter, we numerically propose the one-way perfect absorption of near-infrared radiation in a tunable spectral range with high transmission in the neighboring spectral ranges. This functionality is obtained by using a two-dimensional, guided-mode resonance-based grating-waveguide metasurface that acts as a frequency-selective reflector, a spacer dielectric, and an absorbing oxide layer. Within the bandwidth of the excited guided-mode resonance excited at 1.82 µm (with a full-width at half-maximum of 19 nm), we confirmed perfect absorption when light was incident from one of the two opposite directions, whereas in the other direction, perfect reflection was observed. The forward-to-backward absorption ratio reached as high as 60, while the thickness of the entire structure was on the order of the operating wavelength. In addition to the spectral tunability of the excited resonances and their bandwidths, our proposed device supports transparency windows with 65% transmission in the adjacent frequency bands. Our 2D grating is also verified to enable near-absolute insensitivity to the polarization state of incident light. Geometrical parameter modification also gives our design great tunability, as we also designed a device with a 300 nm absorption/reflection linewidth.