Design and manufacture of metal/dielectric long-wavelength cutoff filters

Thin films of high reflecting metal, such as Ag, have a high reflectance in the long-wavelength region. When they are combined with dielectric layers, it is possible, through thin film interference effects, to induce transmission in certain shorter wavelength regions. Thus, they are useful components for the design of long-wavelength cutoff filters with a broad rejection region. In this paper, metal/dielectric multilayer designs based on this principle are numerically investigated. Three designs with different cutoff wavelengths and with very broad transmission regions in the visible or near-IR spectral ranges are presented. An excellent rejection on the long-wavelength side extends beyond 20 mu m. Experimental results for one of the designs produced in our magnetron sputtering system are given. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America