Flexible metamaterial absorbers with multi-band infrared response

A flexible metamaterial with a tri-layer metal-dielectric-metal structure is fabricated by combining Excimer laser micromachining of a polyimide sheet and oblique angle physical vapour deposition methods. Excimer laser micromachining is used to generate an array of micro-disks on the flexible polymer sheet followed by physical vapour deposition at normal incidence to produce continuous metal and dielectric layers while oblique angle deposition of metal vapour is used to finally form discrete oblate ellipsoids on top of the micro-disks. The fabricated metamaterial shows multi-band metamaterial absorption exceeding 90% simultaneously over infrared bands centred at 3 µm, 5 µm, and 13.85 µm. The multi-band absorption arises due to multipole resonances of the disk structure and is accurately modelled by electromagnetic simulation as well. A theoretical model of a perfect absorber as an array of optimally impedance matched antennas is also presented.