Titanium-Based Metasurfaces for Optoelectronics

Abstract

We report on the fabrication method that enables the development of transparent conductive metasurfaces capable of the resonant absorption of light in specific frequency bands. The approach is based on embedding linear sp-carbon chains and metallic nanoparticles in a porous matrix of titanium dioxide (TiO2). We develop a blading technique for the formation of a periodical grating of TiO2 microtubes at the macroscale. The method allowed us to maintain the periodicity of an array of microtubes with an accuracy of ±5%. Tuning the diameter of the tubes and the concentration of metallic nanoparticles, we achieved the regime of strong resonant absorption of the fabricated complex metasurface in the visible range. Computer simulations helped revealthe regime of TE/TM-polarized laser pumping that allowed for the most efficient transformation of light energy into electric current flow. In the studied structures, the sp-carbon clusters embedded inside transparent titanium dioxide tubes play the role of atomic wires. The interplay between efficient conductivity through carbon wires and the plasmon-enhanced absorption of light allows the design of photodiode structures based on periodical metasurfaces and characterized by highly selective optical sensitivity.