Polarization-universal bandgaps realized with columnar thin films

Abstract

Abstract. Equichiral sculptured thin films (ECSTFs) with unit cells comprising a sequence of four identical columnar thin films were fabricated using asymmetric serial bideposition to exhibit the polarization-universal Bragg phenomenon. Oblique-angle optical transmission measurements of the ECSTFs showed bands of total transmittance values under 20%, regardless of the polarization state of the incident plane wave. These polarization-universal bandgaps can be tuned by adjusting the angle of incidence.