Enhanced SWIR Absorption in PMMA-Coated TiN-Based Metamaterial

Abstract

Achieving highly efficient absorption in the short wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectral region is crucial for advancing numerous technologies. SWIR absorption enhances energy harvesting in solar cells, improves the sensitivity of infrared sensors, and enables precise control of thermal radiative properties in thermal emission devices. These advancements are essential for applications such as thermal imaging, night vision, and thermophotovoltaic systems. The study presents a simple, cost-effective design of a polymer-coated multilayer perfect absorber (MPA) metamaterial optimized for the SWIR spectral region. The proposed MPA structure is composed of four distinct layers: a top layer made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer, a second layer featuring arrays of circular titanium nitride (TiN) disks, a dielectric middle layer consisting of a pure zinc oxide (ZnO) film, and a bottom metallic layer formed by a thin film of TiN. The results demonstrate that the MPA achieves near-perfect absorption, with a remarkable 99% efficiency centered at a wavelength of 1.3 µm. The absorption properties are further investigated with respect to various structural parameters to ensure better performance of the absorber. These absorbers hold great promise for applications in energy absorption, infrared sensing, thermal emission, and related fields.