Ultrabroadband light absorption based on photonic topological transitions in hyperbolic metamaterials

Abstract

Photonic topological transitions (PTTs) in metamaterials open up a novel approach to design a variety of high-performance optical devices and provide a flexible platform for manipulating light-matter interactions at nanoscale. Here, we present a wideband spectral-selective solar absorber based on multilayered hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM). Absorptivity of higher than 90% at normal incidence is supported over a wide wavelength range from 300 to 2215 nm, due to the topological change in the isofrequency surface (IFS). The operating bandwidth can be flexibly tailored by adjusting the thicknesses of the metal and dielectric layers. Moreover, the near-ideal absorption performance can be retained well at a wide angular range regardless of the incident light polarization. These features make the proposed design hold great promise for practical applications in energy harvesting.