Multi-Wavelength Selective Thermal Emission Enabled by Dual-Layer Localized Surface Plasmon Polaritons

TL;DR

This paper presents a dual-layer metasurface design that enables multi-peak, spectrally controllable thermal emission in the mid-infrared range, with potential for dynamic tuning and complex spectral profiles.

Contribution

The introduction of a dual-layer metasurface structure allows independent control of multiple resonant modes for customizable thermal emission spectra.

Findings

Achieved multi-peak thermal emission in 5-8 μm range

Demonstrated arbitrary spectral shape control

Enabled dynamic spectral tuning

Abstract

Thermal emission is a ubiquitous electromagnetic wave with an extreme broad spectrum in nature, and controlling thermal emission can be used to develop low-cost and convenient infrared light sources with wavelength tunable in a wide range that is currently difficult to other sources. Conventional metasurfaces are commonly used to control light but lack the flexibility to achieve complex emission spectral profiles and dynamic tuning. Here, we introduce a novel dual-layer metasurface structure with two completely independent layers to achieve a multi-peak thermal emission within the 5-8 {\mu}m wavelength range. Simulations and experiments show that this two-layer structure can achieve arbitrary spectral shapes without interfering with multiple resonant modes. This unique configuration presents a promising platform for further exploration in thermal emission engineering, enabling spectral control and dynamic tuning.