Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025

Simulation, Fabrication and Characterization of THz Metamaterial Absorbers
Published on: December 27, 2012
Structures, principles, and properties of metamaterial perfect absorbers
Chenxu Zhao1, Huan Wang1, Yanyan Bu2
1College of Electronic and Optical Engineering & College of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China. huizou@njupt.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Metamaterials are a kind of artificial material with special properties, showing huge potential for applications in fields such as infrared measurement, solar cells, optical sensors, and optical stealth. A metamaterial perfect absorber (MPA) is designed based on a metamaterial, featuring strong absorption, small volume, light weight, ultra-bandwidth, tunability and other characteristics. This paper introduces the absorption mechanism of MPAs from microwave to optical wave band, and four directions of absorber design are elaborated. Equivalent impedance matching, plasma resonance and interference effect are the main absorption mechanisms of MPA. Multiband perfect absorption, ultra-wideband and ultra-narrowband perfect absorption, polarization and angle insensitive absorption, and dynamically controllable tunable absorption are the main design aspects. Among them, the proposal of a dynamically tunable absorber realizes the dynamic absorption. Finally, the problems and challenges of metamaterial perfect absorber design are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Absorption of Radiation
Electromagnetic Waves in Matter
Consider the electromagnetic wave passing through a dielectric medium. In such a case, Maxwell's equations get modified. In Ampere's law, ε0 , the dielectric permittivity of free space is replaced with ε, the permittivity of dielectric. Also, the vacuum permeability μ0 is replaced by the permeability of the...
Impedances and Admittance
Impedance is a measure of resistance to sinusoidal current flow in an AC circuit. Unlike their behavior in DC circuits, where inductors appear as short circuits and capacitors as open circuits, the behavior of these components in AC...
Dual Nature of Electromagnetic (EM) Radiation
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks (the highest point) or troughs (the lowest point) in the wave. Frequency is the...
Standing Waves in a Cavity
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...

