Design and Performance of Ultrathin MXene Nano-Absorber for Visible and Infrared Spectra

This paper introduces an ultrathin metamaterial absorber based on MXene, consisting of a subwavelength-sized periodic square-ring-shaped nano-cylinder operating in the visible-infrared regime. The proposed absorber consists of a three-layer standard configuration, featuring a top layer comprising a MXene nano-square cylinder, a middle dielectric material, and a bottom ground plane. It is observed that the proposed nano-absorber presents a broadband response and illustrates an absorption value of 90% across a large wavelength spectrum ranging from 400 to 2400 nm. This notable absorption is attributed to the localized surface plasmonic resonances (LSPR) induced at the top metasurface composed of periodic structures. The designed absorber exhibits a polarization-insensitive response and its due to the inherent symmetric nature of the constituent top unit cell. Furthermore, the absorber maintains stable absorption even at oblique angles up to 60°. The presented nano-absorber displays promising prospective for diverse applications, including solar cells, energy harvesting, and thermal imaging.