Taming the Blackbody with Metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of selective, narrow-band, and dual-band mid-infrared thermal emitters using metamaterials perfect absorbers, showcasing their potential for tailored blackbody emission.

Contribution

First experimental realization of narrow and dual-band thermal emitters based on metamaterials perfect absorbers, confirming their ability to tailor blackbody radiation.

Findings

Emissivity and absorptivity measurements agree well, confirming Kirchhoff's law.

Successful construction of dual-band MIR emitters using multiple metamaterial sublattices.

Demonstrates metamaterials' flexibility in controlling thermal emission.

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate, for the first time, selective thermal emitters based on metamaterials perfect absorbers. We experimentally realize a narrow band mid-infrared (MIR) thermal emitter. Multiple metamaterial sublattices further permit construction of a dual-band MIR emitter. By performing both emissivity and absorptivity measurements, we find that emissivity and absorptivity agree very well as predicted by Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation. Our results directly demonstrate the great flexibility of metamaterials for tailoring blackbody emission.