Thermally robust ring-shaped chromium perfect absorber of visible light

A number of light-absorbing devices based on plasmonic materials have been reported, and their device efficiencies (or absorption) are high enough to be used in real-life applications. Many light-absorbing applications such as thermophotovoltaics and energy-harvesting and energy-sensing devices usually require high-temperature durability; unfortunately, noble metals used for plasmonics are vulnerable to heat. As an alternative, refractory plasmonics has been introduced using refractory metals such as tungsten (3422 degrees C) and transition metal nitrides such as titanium nitride (2930 degrees C). However, some of these materials are not easy to handle for device fabrications owing to their ultra-high melting point. Here, we propose a light absorber based on chromium (Cr), which is heat tolerant due to its high melting temperature (1907 degrees C) and is compatible with fabrication using conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes. The fabricated device has >95% average absorption of visible light (500-800 nm) independent of polarization states. To verify its tolerance of heat, the absorber was also characterized after annealing at 600 degrees C. Because of its compactness, broadband operational wavelength, and heat tolerance, this Cr perfect absorber will have applications in high-temperature photonic devices such as solar thermophotovoltaics.