title: Role of surface electromagnetic waves in metamaterial absorbers.
abstract: Metamaterial absorbers have been demonstrated across much of the electromagnetic spectrum and exhibit both broad and narrow-band absorption for normally incident radiation. Absorption diminishes for increasing angles of incidence and transverse electric polarization falls off much more rapidly than transverse magnetic. We unambiguously demonstrate that broad-angle TM behavior cannot be associated with periodicity, but rather is due to coupling with a surface electromagnetic mode that is both supported by, and well described via the effective optical constants of the metamaterial where we achieve a resonant wavelength that is 19.1 times larger than the unit cell. Experimental results are supported by simulations and we highlight the potential to modify the angular response of absorbers by tailoring the surface wave.
authors.forename: Wen-Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardin
authors.forename: Machhindra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koirala
authors.forename: Xianliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Talmage
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Anthony F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Nan M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Jokerst
authors.forename: Willie J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Padilla