Polarization Manipulated Transmissive Structural Color Based on Dual Complementary Nanograting Cavities

Abstract

2D structural color metasurfaces have emerged as an ideal and sustainable alternative to chemical dyes due to their stability and environment-friendly attributes. In this study, a polarization-manipulated transmissive structural color based on dual complementary nanograting cavities (DC-NGC) is proposed and experimentally validated. The DC-NGC structure is implemented with Ag-covered dielectric nano gratings sitting on a substrate with a thin dielectric and metallic film. It is found that not only strong polarization dependent and wavelength selective transmission occurs in the structure, but also an additional selective absorption under transverse magnetic (TM) incidence for high-order transmission associated with the inherent multiple nanocavity resonant modes. These features make both high design flexibility and a rich color palette with a narrow linewidth possible. Experimental demonstrations are performed by validating the polarization-dependent and wavelength-selective behaviors, fabricating a color palette with varying structural parameters and three different vibrant and colorful patterns showcasing diverse colors under different polarization states. The proposed dual-nanograting-cavity color filter with versatile polarization colors and superior color purity holds significant potential in various applications, including full-color filtering, display, and micro-pattern anti-counterfeiting.