A dual ultra-broadband switchable high-performance terahertz absorber based on hybrid graphene and vanadium dioxide

Abstract

A tunable dual broadband switchable terahertz absorber based on vanadium dioxide and graphene is proposed. The tunability of graphene and the phase transition properties of vanadium dioxide are used to switch broadband absorption between low-frequency and high-frequency, as well as the absorption rate tuning function. The simulation results indicate that when vanadium dioxide is in the insulating phase and the graphene Fermi energy is 0.7 eV, the absorber achieves low-frequency broadband absorption within the range of 2.6–4.2 THz with an absorptance greater than 90%; when vanadium dioxide is in the metallic phase and the graphene Fermi energy is 0 eV, the absorber achieves high-frequency broadband absorption within the range of 4.9–10 THz with an absorptance greater than 90%. Furthermore, the absorptance can be tuned by adjusting the conductivity of vanadium dioxide or the Fermi energy of graphene. Due to the central symmetry of the proposed structure, the absorber is completely insensitive to polarization. For TE and TM polarized waves, both low and high-frequency broadband absorption are maintained over a range of incident angles from 0° to 50°. The simple structure, tunable absorption rate, insensitivity to polarization angle and incident angle properties are advantages of our proposed absorber. It has broad application prospects in adjustable filters and electromagnetic shielding.