Polarization-dependent wideband metamaterial absorber for ultraviolet to near-infrared spectral range applications

The need for wideband metamaterial absorbers (WBMA) for applications other than sensing and filtering has demanded modifications to the conventional three-layer metal-insulator-metal (MIM) absorber configuration. This modification often results in complex geometries and an increased number of layers requiring complex lithographic processes for fabrication. Here, we show that a metamaterial absorber with rectangular geometry in the simple MIM configuration can provide wideband absorption covering the ultraviolet and near-infrared spectral range. Due to its asymmetric nature, the WBMA is sensitive to the polarization of the incident light and independent of the angle of incidence up to about 45° depending on the polarization of the incident light. The characteristics of the WBMA presented here may be useful for applications such as detectors for wide spectral band applications.