Japanese researchers have recently developed a highly efficient light-absorbing material with visible and infrared absorption rates of over 99%. The new material is expected to be used in imaging equipment and other fields.
A light-absorbing material refers to the fact that light shines on the material, and there is no transmission outside the illumination, nor does it produce mapping and large flares. After absorbing the light, the material reflects less light. To greatly improve the material's light absorption and durability, it is necessary to perform nano-level microfabrication on the surface of the material to form a conical cavity structure. The related technical challenges are huge.
The research team led by the Japan Institute of Industrial Technology first irradiated the resin material with the ion beam emitted from the accelerator to make some small holes, and then chemically treated the small holes to expand into a cone shape, so that the resin material had a precise surface structure. Using this resin material as a mold and filling it with black silicone rubber mixed with carbon, a "dark" material with high light absorption was made. The new materials have visible light and infrared absorption rates exceeding 99.5% and 99.9%, respectively.
The researchers said that the material is durable and is expected to be used in devices that are extremely sensitive to light absorption, such as telescopes and cameras.