Design and optimization of broadband metamaterial absorber based on manganese for visible applications

Metamaterial absorbers have been extensively researched due to their potential applications in photonics. This paper presents a highly efficient Broadband Metamaterial Absorber (BMA) based on a Manganese–Silica–Manganese three layer structure with a shaped pattern at the top layer. For maximum absorption efficiency, the geometrical parameters of the proposed absorber have been optimized based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The optimal structure with a thickness of 190 nm, can achieve more than 94% absorption spanning visible band (400–800) nm with 98.72% average absorption, and more than 90% absorption over the range from 365 to 888 nm. In the range from 447 to 717 nm, the design presented above 99% absorptivity, providing an ultra-wide bandwidth of 270 nm. The physical mechanism of absorption is illustrated through the exploration of the electric and magnetic field distributions. Additionally, the proposed structure maintains 85% absorption stability for wide incident angles up to 70° for both the TE and TM polarizations under oblique incidence. Further, the optimized absorber structure with excellent absorption capabilities makes it suitable for various applications, including optical sensors, thermal emitters, and color imaging applications.