UCSD present near-perfect broadband absorption from hyperbolic metamaterial nanoparticles

San Diego, Calif., Feb. 1, 2017 - Transparent window coatings that keep buildings and cars cool on sunny days. Devices that could more than triple solar cell efficiencies. Thin, lightweight shields that block thermal detection. These are potential applications for a thin, flexible, light-absorbing material developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego.

Using 3D patterning and ALD UCSD researchers has developed a new flexible, light-absorbing material that can be used as a transparent, heat-blocking window coatings or infrared detection shields. The materials were fabricated using advanced nanofabrication technologies in the Nano3 cleanroom facility at the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. This facility has a Beneq TSF200 ALD reacor (LINK) possibly used for the ALD processing.

Full paper: “Near-perfect broadband absorption from hyperbolic metamaterial nanoparticles.” Authors of the study are Conor T. Riley, Joseph S. T. Smalley, Jeffrey R. J. Brodie, Yeshaiahu Fainman, Donald J. Sirbuly and Zhaowei Liu.

New light-absorbing material could lead to transparent, heat-blocking window coatings or #infrared detection shields https://t.co/E0erhJDdpM pic.twitter.com/EENdnBdEb7

— UCSD Engineering (@UCSDJacobs) February 1, 2017