Color management of semi-transparent nano-patterned surfaces

Abstract

Many applications require colored surfaces while maximizing photons to pass through with no optical losses. As the perceived color depends on the spectral content and the number of reflected photons for each wavelength, it is necessary to consider not only the chromatic content but also the brightness. As a first application example, photovoltaic modules could see their acceptance in urban situations greatly improved if their color could be controlled while maximizing the number of photons used for energy conversion. In this case, it is important to limit light brightness to avoid glare when light coming from the sun is reflected directly. As another example, a colored and semi-transparent glass layer in the infrared could efficiently protect sensors while camouflaging them, such as lidar in automotive applications. We propose a theoretical study for multicolor applications, considering 2D partially etched grating waveguide structures that behave as a perfect broadband antireflection coating while the residual layer couples light in a waveguided mode in order to reflect only a particular photon band. This strategy allows to produce a large variety of colors and the use of non-absorbing materials avoids any optical loss. The width of the resonance peak is a crucial parameter for balancing brightness in multicolor applications. In the second part, we developed a method for a fast optimization of the geometrical parameters and we applied it to obtain the three primary colors with strong geometrical constraints, so that such structures could be manufactured in a single step by nano-imprint. Finally, we propose some improvements of these structures, in particular by reducing broadband reflection to obtain more saturated colors, or to improve the angular behavior of these structures.