Ultra-Broadband Perfect Absorber based on Titanium Nanoarrays for Harvesting Solar Energy

Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source and solves today's energy and climate emergency. Near-perfect broadband solar absorbers can offer necessary technical assistance to follow this route and develop an effective solar energy-harvesting system. In this work, the metamaterial perfect absorber operating in the ultraviolet to the near-infrared spectral range was designed, consisting of a periodically aligned titanium (Ti) nanoarray coupled to an optical cavity. Through numerical simulations, the average absorption efficiency of the optimal parameter absorber can reach up to 99.84% in the 200-3000 nm broadband range. We show that the Ti pyramid's localized surface plasmon resonances, the intrinsic loss of the Ti material, and the coupling of resonance modes between two neighboring pyramids are highly responsible for this broadband perfect absorption effect. Additionally, we demonstrate that the absorber exhibits some excellent features desirable for the practical absorption and harvesting of solar energy, such as precision tolerance, polarization independence, and large angular acceptance.

Automated summary

Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source that addresses the current energy and climate crisis. Near-perfect broadband solar absorbers can assist in developing an effective solar energy-harvesting system. This study presents a metamaterial perfect absorber design that operates in the ultraviolet to near-infrared spectral range, utilizing a titanium nanoarray coupled to an optical cavity. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the optimal absorber achieves an average absorption efficiency of up to 99.84% in the 200-3000 nm broadband range. It is also shown that the absorber possesses desirable features for practical solar energy absorption and harvesting, such as precision tolerance, polarization independence, and large angular acceptance.