Salisbury screen absorbers using epsilon-near-zero substrate

Abstract As a planar resonant structure, Salisbury screen offers cost-effective way of manipulating electromagnetic waves for both fundamental studies and practical applications in optoelectronics. In this paper, we demonstrate absorbers using epsilon-near-zero substrate, which reduces the spacer thickness below typical one quarter wavelength limit. Three-layered thin-film made SiC ZnSe layer top NiCr film are designed fabricated, exhibit near-perfect absorption at 11.72 ? m with about half quarter-wavelength. For ideal zero-index material without optical loss, our proposed absorber simplifies to two-layered structure even theory. These results suggest that materials provide an alternative approach developing compact absorbing structures involving lithographic patterning.