Received 20 October 2023, accepted 13 November 2023, date of publication 16 November 2023,

date of current version 27 November 2023.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3333533

MXene-Based Polarization-Insensitive
UV-VIS-NIR Meta-Absorber
MUHAMMAD QASIM MEHMOOD 1 , (Senior Member, IEEE),
AQIB RAZA SHAH1 , (Member, IEEE), MUHAMMAD ASHAR NAVEED2 ,
NASIR MAHMOOD3 , (Member, IEEE), MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR 3 , (Senior Member, IEEE),
AND YEHIA MASSOUD 3 , (Fellow, IEEE)
1 MicroNano Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology University (ITU) of the Punjab, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
2 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
3 Innovative Technologies Laboratories (ITL), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia

Corresponding authors: Muhammad Qasim Mehmood ([email protected]), Muhammad Zubair

([email protected]), and Yehia Massoud ([email protected])
This work was supported by the Innovative Technologies Laboratories (ITL), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST), Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT The concept of achieving perfect absorption of electromagnetic (EM) waves has engendered
substantial interest in diverse applications, encompassing photoelectric conversions, infrared imaging,
energy harvesting, and photovoltaics. Conventionally, absorber materials of choice have revolved around
the utilization of refractory metals. However, this article proposes a pioneering proposition that uses quasi-
two-dimensional (quasi-2D) material i.e., MXene, and uses ceramics material aluminum nitride (AlN)
to forge a polarization-insensitive broadband absorber. This ultra-broadband meta-absorber showcases an
expanse of absorbance across a comprehensive spectral range, spanning from the ultraviolet (UV) to Near-
infrared (NIR) regions, specifically extending from 200 nm to 2000 nm. To previse the angular stability
of the meta-absorber, the absorptivity was examined under oblique incidence in both transverse electric
(TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations exhibiting the robustness of broadband absorber. MXene
shows exceptional mechanical flexibility, facilitating seamless integration into flexible electronics. Their
large specific surface area holds significant promise for high-performance energy storage in applications
including energy harvesting, photovoltaics, solar cells, and sensors. These unique characteristics position
them at the forefront of material science, driving advancements in next-generation technologies.

INDEX TERMS Broadband absorption, MXene, polarization insensitive, meta-absorbers, UV to near-IR

regime.

I. INTRODUCTION absorption [9], [10], [11]. The first metamaterial-based per-

Metamaterials are a class of materials that can manipulate the fect absorber was proposed by Landy et al. back in 2008 [12].
electromagnetic waves at nanoscale and exhibit the unique Since then, many designing techniques, including split ring
and exotics properties which are not found in natural mate- resonators, square rings, and trapezoidal arrays that span the
rials like negative refractive index, reversal of Doppler shift, microwave to the infrared regime, have been scrutinized in
and negative refraction or reflection [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], order to attain perfect absorption [13], [14], [15], [16].
[7], [8]. They undergo intense study because of their vast In literature, plenty of material platforms and absorb-
and diverse potential applications such as stealth technology, ing structures have been reported for visible to infrared
sensing, energy harvesting, medical imaging, and perfect wavelengths possessing potential applications in optical com-
munication, spectroscopy, solar energy, sensors, medical
The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and imaging etc. [17], [18], [19], [20]. Chen et al. explored the
approving it for publication was Roberta Palmeri . gold nanowires and presented a broadband absorber ranging
2023 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.
VOLUME 11, 2023 For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 130287
 M. Q. Mehmood et al.: MXene-Based Polarization-Insensitive UV-VIS-NIR Meta-Absorber

from ultraviolet to visible [21]. By vertical incident light, AlN crucial in electromagnetic wave absorption. AlN finds
Jiang et al. suggested the broadband solar absorber, which significant use in electromagnetic wave absorbers, crucial for
spans the visible to the near-infrared regime and achieves anechoic chambers in EMC testing and in radar-absorbing
efficient absorption of 90 % [22]. Refractory metals like materials for stealth technology. Additionally, AlN-based
nickel (Ni), titanium nitride (TiN), zirconium nitride (ZrN), absorbers enhance signal quality and reduce interference in
chromium (Cr), and tungsten (W) have also been examined wireless devices and antennas. AlN’s electrical properties
for a number of efficient absorbers [23], [24], [25], [26], [27]. contribute to its effectiveness in absorbing electromagnetic
Shafique et al. demonstrated VN/SiO2 based meta-absorber waves, improving performance in various essential applica-
for solar thermophotovoltaic (STPV) system with 99% effi- tions [49]. In literature, Ahmed et al. explored the potential
ciency [28]. Similarly in another study TiN was explored by of 2D titanium carbide for the preparation and performance
Hou et al. for achieving >90% absorption in a waveband of lithium-ion batteries [50]. In 2020, Ali et al. suggested
ranging from 400 to 2000 nm [29]. In another investigation, the wide-angle broadband absorber employing the MIM
tungsten metal was explored for high absorption demon- structure based on MXene and gold nanoparticles [51].
stration in the visible range by utilizing the polarization Houran et al. propose a high-tunability MXene-based meta-
insensitive cylindrical geometry [30]. Such refractory met- material absorber with subwavelength nanorods, achieving
als based meta-absorbers exhibits perfect absorption along over 80% absorption in the 1150-2500 nm infrared range
with exceptional high temperature tolerance making them [52]. The author introduces a multilayer absorber, incorporat-
ideal candidate for photovoltaic, and energy harvesting, etc. ing 2D Ti3C2Tx (MXene) and top-mounted titanium nitride
applications. (TiN). It achieves over 85% absorption in the 400-1600 nm
Two-dimensional (2D) materials have drawn quite a bit of spectrum under normal incidence [53]. Since then MXene
attention in recent years because of their unique electrical, has demonstrated significant advancements in real-world
optical, mechanical, and thermal capabilities along with thin applications such as energy storage, electromagnetic interfer-
layer thickness, which allows them to be easily integrated ence (EMI) shielding, and flexible electronics. However, the
into nanoscale devices [31], [32], [33], [34]. Graphene is scalability of MXene synthesis, sensitivity to environmental
the most well-known 2D material; it has been explored in conditions, and the integration of MXene into existing sys-
numerous disciplines due to its exceptional electrical conduc- tems or devices present notable technical challenges. It can
tivity, mechanical strength, low loss, and adjustable band gap still be used to overcome the difficulty in designing an ultra-
[35], [36], [37]. Recently, researchers have been examining broadband meta-absorber, and this will have a significant
a new class of quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) materi- impact on the advancement of photonic devices.
als. Typically, quasi-2D materials are thin films or layered In this paper, we put forth a pioneering concept for an
materials with a thickness that is small enough to cause ultra-broadband meta-absorber that harnesses the exceptional
quantum confinement effects in the electronic structure but properties of MXene material. Through rigorous analy-
large enough to preserve some of the 3D features of the sis using the advanced simulation tool CST Microwave
bulk material, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), such Studio, we conducted a comprehensive investigation into
as MoS2 and WS2 , layered oxides, such as SrTiO3 and the absorption characteristics of the MXene-based meta-
LaAlO3 , and MXene [38]. MXene being a quasi-2D material, absorber. The suggested meta-absorber exhibits a profound
its compound consist of carbonitrides, carbides, and transi- ability to effectively capture and assimilate the incident
tion metals, it possesses qualities that fall in between those energy of both transverse electric (TE) and transverse mag-
of a true 2D material and a bulk 3D material [39], [40]. netic (TM) polarizations, leading to an impressive state of
Its ultrathin structure, which has a thickness of only a few polarization insensitivity through meticulous manipulation
nanometers, causes the quantization of electronic states in the of the thickness and configuration of the MXene layer. The
out-of-plane direction while preserving the bulk material’s proposed design achieves efficient absorption in the visible
three-dimensional characteristics in the in-plane direction. to the near-infrared spectral range. It shows great stability at
As a result, unique electrical, optical, and mechanical prop- an oblique incidence of light and proclaims great potential of
erties arise that are highly tunable and suitable for a range applications such as energy harvesting, photodetectors, solar
of applications [41], [42], [43], [44]. Molecular formula of cells, photovoltaic and sensors, etc.
MXene can be represented as Mn+1 Xn Tx where M, X, and T
stand for the transition metal, carbon (C) or N= Nitrogen (N) II. DESIGN AND MODELING
and functional groups (OH, -F, -O) respectively [45]. Because The ultra-broadband meta-absorber has a three-layered struc-
of better stability, larger specific surface, peculiar dielec- ture, the upper layer is made up of MXene with a square-
tric multilayer, and semiconductor characteristics and unique shaped resonator, the middle layer is of aluminum nitride and
electrical and optical features MXene is an excellent choice the bottom grounded layer is of also MXene. The schematics
for optical devices, particularly for absorbers [46], [47], [48]. of the absorber are shown in Fig. 1 (a-d). The top and 3D view
AlN offers high electrical resistivity and a wide bandgap of the meta-atom are depicted in Fig. 1 (a), (b) along with the
(6.0-6.2 eV), making it ideal for insulation and high-power 3D view of the metasurface in Fig. 1(c). The MXene has high
electronics. Its notable dielectric constant (8.5-9.5) makes refractive index (n) and absorption coefficient (k), making it
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M. Q. Mehmood et al.: MXene-Based Polarization-Insensitive UV-VIS-NIR Meta-Absorber

FIGURE 2. Meta-absorber simulations of the absorption and reflection

spectra for the TE and TM polarizations in the 200–2000 nm wavelength
range.

FIGURE 1. Schematics diagram of proposed meta-absorber. (a) Front view

of unit cell, (b) 3D view of unit cell, (c) 3D view of meta-absorber, (d) The space. During the interaction between the incident light
refractive index of MXene material as a function of wavelength, depicting
both its real (n) and imaginary (k) components. beam and the meta-absorber, the propagation of light through
the absorber material remains contingent upon a delicate
equilibrium among diverse factors. The meta-material char-
suitable choice as an absorbing material (Fig. 1 (d)). Access acteristics pertaining to the absorber’s surface, magnetic
to refractive index data for MXene is available through the permeability, and dielectric constant entangle in an intricate
provided references [54], [55]. The absorption characteris- interplay with the incident radiation. This interaction gives
tics and resonance frequency of a meta-absorber are closely rise to a multifaceted exchange governed by the rigorous
linked to the physical dimensions of the structure. Meta- principles outlined within Maxwell’s equations [45].
absorbers are precisely crafted materials on the nanoscale  
1 jσ
intended to proficiently absorb electromagnetic waves within ∇× (∇×E) − K 2o εr − E = 0, (1)
specific frequency bands. The absorption characteristics of µr ωεo
the meta-absorber can be effectively modulated by introduc- where µr is relative permeability and εr is relative permit-
ing alterations in the top layer, device period, and spacer layer, tivity, ω is the angular frequency, propagating vector of the
thereby enabling the attainment of an optimized unit-cell wave for all the medium is K and the conductivity of medium
configuration. The frequency domain solver CST Microwave is σ . The presence of the aluminum layer in the absorber
Studio 2021 has been used for simulation of MXene absorber leads to the reflection of incident light waves, thereby causing
and optimized the geometrical parameter to achieve maxi- the transmission to approach zero. Consequently, the incident
mum absorbance. waves become trapped within the MXene layer, promoting
The unit cell boundary conditions are applied in the absorption. It is important to note that the bottom layer of the
x-axis and y-axis direction and open add space in z-axis absorber consists of MXene material, further contributing to
from where propagation of wave take place. To determine the absorption process.
the best unit-cell dimensions, we employed the parametric
sweep optimization technique within CST Microwave Studio, III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
thus facilitating a comprehensive exploration of the design The absorption of any absorber can be find using the absorp-
space. The resultant optimization revealed an ideal period of
tion equation which is represented as [56],
p = 90 nm for the unit cell, accompanied by a square-shaped
top layer exhibiting a length of L = 60 nm and a substantial A (λ) = 1 − R (λ) −T (λ) . (2)
thickness of ts = 150 nm. Moreover, an intermediate AlN
layer was incorporated, featuring a thickness of hs = 30 nm, where T(λ) is transmission coefficient and R(λ) is reflection
while the bottom layer was fashioned to possess a thickness coefficient. The meta-absorber exhibits an extremely low
of tg = 110 nm. transmission coefficient (T(λ)) as a result of the AlN layer’s
Efficiently harnessing incident radiation within a meta- thickness surpassing the skin depth. This signifies a sub-
absorber requires meticulous attention to impedance match- stantial impedance mismatch that hinders the transmission of
ing as an incident light beam aligns with the positive z-axis incident EM energy through the absorber. Consequently, the
and encounters the absorber within the electromagnetic spec- meta-absorber allows only a negligible fraction, if any, of the
trum. Maximizing the absorption of incident radiation while incident energy to pass through it. Instead, the majority of
minimizing reflection losses necessitates the careful manipu- the energy is either absorbed or reflected by the absorber,
lation of the characteristic impedance of the meta-absorber, illustrating its strong absorption and reflection characteris-
aiming to closely parallel the intrinsic impedance of free tics. Equation (2) can be modified to focus exclusively on the

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 M. Q. Mehmood et al.: MXene-Based Polarization-Insensitive UV-VIS-NIR Meta-Absorber

from 0.6 to 1. This trend indicates a progressive enhancement

in impedance matching between the absorber and the inci-
dent radiation within this wavelength range. Further analysis
reveals a noteworthy transition beyond the 500 nm threshold.
Within this range, the effective impedance consistently main-
tains proximity to unity. This suggests a sustained high degree
of impedance matching between the absorber and the incident
radiation. The absorber demonstrates its proficient capacity to
effectively absorb and dissipate the incident radiation within
this specific wavelength range.
When EM wave incidence normal to the proposed meta-
absorber, permittivity and permeability depends on reflection
coefficient 0, [30]i.e.
FIGURE 3. Illustrating the wavelength-dependent effective impedance
µm
r
Zm − ZO
manifestation in the proposed meta-absorber.
0= , with Zm = ZO . (5)
Zm + ZO εm
absorption and reflection aspects, disregarding the transmis- where ZO impedance of free space and Zm impedance of
sion term. metasurface, and εm and µm are permittivity and permeabil-
ity respectively.
A (λ) = 1 − R (λ) . (3) In order to establish a resilient absorber design, it is imper-
Fig. 2 provides a comprehensive depiction of the absorp- ative to systematically examine the impact of incident EM
tivity response exhibited by the meta-absorber. The graph waves at varying angles. The reflection coefficient of the
showcases the absorption behavior under two different absorber is profoundly influenced by the oblique incidence,
modes; transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric giving rise to distinct parallel and perpendicular reflection
(TE). The conducted simulations have unraveled profound coefficients. As a consequence, it becomes imperative to
insights into the absorption and reflection characteristics of mathematically express these coefficients as explicit func-
the meta-absorber when subjected to electromagnetic (EM) tions of the incident angle:
waves under normal incidence conditions (θi = 0◦ ). Notably, Zm cosθ i −Zo cosθ r
the absorbers demonstrate a remarkable propensity for high 0⊥ = , (6)
Zm cosθ i + Zo cosθ r
absorbance within a significant range spanning from the Zm cosθ r −Zo cosθ i
ultraviolet to the near-infrared region, specifically covering 0∥ = , (7)
Zm cosθ r + Zo cosθ i
wavelengths between 200 nm and 2000 nm.
The impedance of the absorber, which is the ratio of the where θi is angle of incidence and θr is angle of refraction.
electric field to the magnetic field in the material, determines As according to snell’s law
the amount of reflection and absorption. Perfect absorption ZO sinθ r
requires that the absorber’s impedance match that of the = . (8)
Zm sinθ i
incident wave, which is typically the impedance of free space.
By simultaneously solving the above equations (6), (7) and
When the absorber’s impedance equals unity, the electric and
(8), the maximum absorption in TM and TE mode at oblique
magnetic fields are in phase and the reflection vanishes. In the
incidence of EM waves can be calculated using equations (9)
context of meta-absorbers, the shape, size, and spacing of the
and (10) which can be written as [30].
structures serve as design parameters that affect the effective
impedance. As a result, it is possible to tailor the impedance ATM = µ − εsin2 θ i −µε cos2 θ i = 0, (9)
to unity and achieve high absorption efficiency by optimizing 2 2 2
ATE = µε−ε sin θ i − µ cos θ i = 0. 2
(10)
the design parameters. The impedance of absorber can be
calculated from the equation which is based on s-parameter From equations (9) and (10), it can be observed that at
[57]. normal incidence we can control absorption by changing only
the permittivity and permeability but at oblique incidence
1 + S11
Z= . (4) absorption not only depend on permittivity and permeability,
1 − S11 but it also depends on angle of incidence. So, absorptivity
The scrutinization of the relationship between wavelength changes by changing the angle of incidence.
and effective impedance, as depicted in Fig. 3, provides The absorption characteristics of the suggested meta-
valuable observations regarding the behavior of the proposed absorber are now carefully scrutinized under different para-
broadband absorber. Significantly, the effective impedance metric and operational conditions. We take into account the
reveals distinct patterns corresponding to different wave- TM and TE polarized incidence excitation and plot the 2D
lengths. Initially, as the wavelength of the incident radiation graph of absorptivity in both TE and TM mode in the 200 nm
increases from 200-300 nm, the impedance gradually rises to 2000 nm wavelength range at normal (θ i = 0◦ ) and oblique

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M. Q. Mehmood et al.: MXene-Based Polarization-Insensitive UV-VIS-NIR Meta-Absorber

FIGURE 4. (a) Absorption at oblique incidence in TM polarized wave.

(b) Absorption at oblique incidence in TE polarized wave.

FIGURE 6. (a) Period optimization of meta-absorber. (b) Absorption

spectra by varying the thickness of middle layer (Aluminium Nitride).
(c) Absorption spectra by changing the thickness of bottom MXene layer.

for the optimization of the meta-absorber’s resonant fre-

quency and absorption performance. The absorber layers
are subjected to an extensive series of parameter sweeps
using computational simulations in order to accomplish this
FIGURE 5. Absorption for different values of angle of polarization.
optimization. These sweeps aim to determine the optimum
layer thicknesses that maximize absorption effectiveness over
incidence (θ i = 10◦ − 70◦ ) of EM wave. Fig. 4 depicts the a specific range of wavelengths, allowing the creation of
absorption behavior of proposed metasurface based absorber highly optimized meta-absorbers with tailored performance
at different angle of incidence in both TM and TE mode. characteristics. It is necessary to hold all other pertinent
In both Fig. 4(a) and 4(b) we observed the perfect absorption. parameters constant while modifying a particular parameter
If we do comparison between TM and TE polarized wave of interest for the purpose to perform an in-depth analy-
absorption, it is clear in the Fig. 4 that TM polarized waves sis. Fig 6 (a) illustrated the absorption spectra of proposed
has higher absorption than the TE polarized wave. Here, absorber by varying the period size from 70 nm to 110 nm.
it is important to comment that oblique incidence of waves The performance of the absorber is strongly influenced by
has great effect on the absorption attributes as it can be the periodicity of its unit cells, as can be seen from the
observed that absorption reduced as we increase the angle of scrutiny of the absorption spectra demonstrated in Fig. 6(a).
incidence this is intrinsic characteristics to the large amount In particular, the absorber exhibits substantially enhanced
of metasurface anisotropy experienced by the incoming wave, absorption characteristics throughout a wide range of inci-
in result the wave partially reflected and absorption reduced. dence angles and frequencies when the period is set to p =
This impact can clearly have observed in the TE-polarized 90. This is due to the activation of higher-order modes in the
wave in Fig. 4 (b). absorber structure, which happens when the period is set to
To scrutinize the incident wave polarization effect on a particular value that coincides with the material’s resonant
meta-absorber behavior, we examine the absorption attributes wavelengths. Fig. 6(b) indicates that the absorber’s absorp-
corresponding to different values of polarization angle ϕ tion performance varies with the thickness of the Aluminium
while keeping the incidence angle θ i = 0◦ . This polar- nitride (AlN) layer. Experimental results exhibit that for all
ization angles find out the direction of electric field vector values of the layer thickness (hs ), which range from 10 nm
vibration with reference to the propagation direction of wave. to 50 nm with a step size of 10, the absorptivity persists
Absorption response of absorber for different polarization remarkably high, frequently exceeding 70%. As the AlN
angle ϕ = 0◦ , 30◦ , 60◦ , and 90◦ as shown in Fig. 5. It can be layer’s thickness is further increased, the absorber’s longer
observed that the proposed meta-absorber exhibits identical wavelength absorption increases while its shorter wavelength
absorption behavior across different polarization angles. This absorption decreases. The resultant behavior can be attributed
observation suggests that the absorber’s performance remains to a change in the resonant modes inside the absorber design,
consistent irrespective of the angle of polarization, which which are impacted by the AlN layer’s thickness. The impact
spans from 0◦ to 90◦ . This compelling evidence confirms that of grounded layer is also investigated, Fig. 6(c) shows the
the proposed design is polarization insensitive. almost same trend which is noticed in the Fig.6 (b). As we
An extensive analysis of geometric characteristics, specif- increase the value of thickness tg from 70 nm to 150 nm
ically with consideration to layer thickness, is necessary with the step size of 20 nm while other geometric parameter

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 M. Q. Mehmood et al.: MXene-Based Polarization-Insensitive UV-VIS-NIR Meta-Absorber

below [14],
q
eink0 d = X ± i 1 − X 2 , (13)
where X = 2S (1−1S2 +S2 ) .
21 11 21
The mathematical equations employed leverage the
absorber’s impedance and refractive index to ascertain the
intrinsic properties of the meta-absorber, specifically its rela-
tive permittivity and permeability. These calculations involve
rigorous analysis and precise computations to derive accurate
values that characterize the behavior of the meta-absorber
in absorbing electromagnetic radiation. The permeability can
be calculated as the product of the refractive index and the
impedance, whereas the permittivity can be written as the
ratio of the absorber’s impedance to its refractive index.
To find the permittivity (εr ) of meta-absorber we use the
expression which can written as [14], [58],
FIGURE 7. Complex intrinsic parameter of the proposed absorber.
εr = n Z,

(a) Refractive index of meta-absorber (b) Permittivity of meta- absorber. (14)
(c) Complex permeability of absorber.
while for permeability (µr ) we can use the equation 15.
remains constant and incidence of wave is normal, at the µr = nZ. (15)
shorter wavelength absorption spectra deteriorate therefore Complex refractive index of the proposed absorber is depicted
decreasing the absorption efficiency. in the Fig.7 (a). Fig. 7(b) and 7(c) illustrate the permeability
After analyzing the physical parameters effect on and permittivity of absorber respectively. The value of the
the absorption characteristics, it is essential to extract loss tangent is a crucial factor that governs a meta-absorber’s
the complex frequency-dependent scattering parameters ability to absorb energy. The incident electromagnetic wave
(S-parameters) of the meta-absorber at optimized dimen- is more likely to be absorbed when the loss tangent value
sions, in order to further scrutinize its performance. These is higher because there is more energy dissipated within
variables, including the refractive index, permittivity, and per- the material. It is crucial to evaluate and optimize the loss
meability, serve as vital in determining the electromagnetic tangent value of the material employed in the meta-absorber
response of the absorber. Using the transmission line theory design. It can be observed from Fig.7 (b) the imaginary part of
and a multi-layer model, the permittivity and permeability permittivity is larger than its real part leading to an absorption
may be calculated from the measured transmission (S21 ) due to higher loss tangent. Mathematically loss tangent can be
and reflection (S11 ) S-parameters, respectively. While the written as
permeability describes the material’s magnetic qualities in
tanδ = ε′′ ε ′ ,

reaction to an external magnetic field, the permittivity of the (16)
absorber demonstrates its capacity to store electric charge where ε′ is real part and ε′′ is the imaginary part
when subjected to an electric field. These factors have a sub- relative permittivity (εr ).Through comprehensive scrutiny,
stantial impact on the meta-absorber’s resonance frequency, we have extensively analyzed the absorption properties of the
bandwidth, and efficiency. For designing and performance meta-absorber under various parametric and operational cir-
optimizations of the absorber, proper characterization of these cumstances. By extracting the meta-absorber’s s-parameters
parameters is mandatory. When an electromagnetic wave and meticulously refining the design parameters, we have
is normally incident on metasurface interface then S21 as precisely determined its relative permittivity and permeabil-
coefficient of transmission can be written mathematically ity. Our conclusive outcomes unequivocally establish the
as S21 = Teiko d , where, k0 is the wavenumber and d is indispensability of achieving an impedance of unity for
the thickness of structure and S11 as reflection coefficient. attaining maximum absorption efficiency. These compelling
The S-parameter are correlated to the refractive index and findings exert a profound impact on the design and advance-
impedance z as ment of meta-absorbers, significantly influencing their mul-
tifaceted applications in the realms of optics, STPV, energy
R01 (1 − ei2nko d )
S11 = , (11) harvesting, photovoltaic, and designing plasmonic absorbers.
(1 − R201 ei2nko d ) To emphasize the novelty and wide-ranging capabilities
(1 − R201 )einko d ) of our proposed design compared to other MXene-based
S21 = , (12) absorbers, we meticulously conducted an exhaustive survey.
(1 − R201 ei2nko d )
We have also compiled and summarized recent research on
−1
whereas R01 = Zz+1 . The refractive index of absorber can MXene-based absorbers in Table 1 to provide a comprehen-
be find by inverting the equations 11 and 12 which is given sive overview.

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phology control and magnetic anisotropy,’’ Carbon, vol. 175, pp. 509–518, Member, IEEE) received the B.S. degree in elec-
Apr. 2021. tronic engineering from International Islamic Uni-
[43] L. Cao H. Chu, H. Pan, R. Wang, Y. Li, S. Zhao, D. Li, H. Zhang, versity Islamabad (IIUI), in 2008, the M.S. degree
and D. Li, ‘‘Nonlinear optical absorption features in few-layered hybrid from the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI),
Ti3 C2 (OH)2 /Ti3 C2 F2 MXene for optical pulse generation in the NIR in 2010, and the Ph.D. degree from the National
region,’’ Opt. Exp., vol. 28, no. 21, pp. 31499–31509, 2020. University of Singapore, in January 2016.
[44] F. Pan, L. Yu, Z. Xiang, Z. Liu, B. Deng, E. Cui, Z. Shi, X. Li, and W. Lu, He joined the National University of Singapore,
‘‘Improved synergistic effect for achieving ultrathin microwave absorber of as a Ph.D. Scholar. He is currently a Chairperson
1D Co nanochains/2D carbide MXene nanocomposite,’’ Carbon, vol. 172, and an Associate Professor with the Department
pp. 506–515, Feb. 2021. of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology University (ITU) of the
[45] Y. Li, F. Meng, Y. Mei, H. Wang, Y. Guo, Y. Wang, F. Peng, F. Huang, and Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, where he is also the Director of a Vibrant with
Z. Zhou, ‘‘Electrospun generation of Ti3 C2 Tx MXene@graphene oxide the MicroNano Laboratory. His research interests include optics and nano-
hybrid aerogel microspheres for tunable high-performance microwave
photonics, more precisely it included the demonstration of exotic phenomena
absorption,’’ Chem. Eng. J., vol. 391, Jul. 2020, Art. no. 123512.
(via ultra-thin nano-structured devices) e.g., on-chip orbital angular manip-
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ulation, beam-steering, spin-orbital coupling, 3-D holography, polarization
nanosheet/metal–organic framework composites for microwave absorp-
tion,’’ ACS Appl. Nano Mater., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 691–701, 2020.
filtering, and light absorption. He is a member of the Pak-ICTP Alumni
[47] P. Liu, S. Chen, M. Yao, Z. Yao, V. M. H. Ng, J. Zhou, Y. Lei, Z. Yang,
Society. He was a recipient of the 2023 ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award
and L. B. Kong, ‘‘Double-layer absorbers based on hierarchical MXene for his remarkable contributions to the field of nano-optics and meta-
composites for microwave absorption through optimal combination,’’ J. photonics. He has listed among the top 2% of scientists in the Global list
Mater. Res., vol. 35, no. 11, pp. 1481–1491, Jun. 2020. (of 2021 and 2022) released by Stanford University. He is the Chair of the
[48] A. K. Thakur, R. Sathyamurthy, R. Saidur, R. Velraj, I. Lynch, and IEEE APS/CAS/MTT/SSC Joint Chapter, Lahore Section; and an Advisor
N. Aslfattahi, ‘‘Exploring the potential of MXene-based advanced of ITU’s SPIE and OPTICA Chapters, Pakistan. He works closely with
solar-absorber in improving the performance and efficiency of a solar- other national and international societies to promote science by organizing
desalination unit for brackish water purification,’’ Desalination, vol. 526, student development and outreach programs, such as symposiums, seminars,
Mar. 2022, Art. no. 115521. internships, project competitions, and awareness sessions.

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AQIB RAZA SHAH (Member, IEEE) received MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR (Senior Member, IEEE)
the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the received the Ph.D. degree in computational elec-
University of Engineering and Technology (UET) tromagnetics (CEM) from the Polytechnic Uni-
Peshawar, Pakistan, in 2021, and the master’s versity of Turin, Italy. He is currently a Research
degree in electrical engineering from Information Scientist with the Innovative Technologies Labo-
Technology University (ITU), Lahore, Pakistan, ratories, King Abdullah University of Science and
in 2023. Technology. Before joining KAUST, he was an
Upon the completion of the B.Sc. degree in elec- Associate Professor and the Department Chair of
trical engineering, he became a Graduate Student the Department of Electrical Engineering, Infor-
Fellow (GSF) with ITU. Throughout his master’s mation Technology University, Lahore. He was a
program, he was actively engaged as a Research Assistant with the Micro- Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the SUTD-MIT International Design
Nano Research Laboratory, ITU. His research interests include the design Centre, Singapore, before joining ITU. His Ph.D. research was carried out
and simulation of optical metasurfaces, 2-D materials, photonics devices, with the Antenna and EMC Laboratory (LACE) of the Polytechnic Uni-
machine learning, deep learning, and utilizing artificial intelligence for versity of Turin, where he worked on computational EM projects funded
medical diagnosis. He proudly holds the memberships of IEEE and SPIE. by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in collaboration with Boston
University, USA. During the Postdoctoral Research, he has been working on
various research projects related to fractional methods in electromagnetics
funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)/Asian Office
of Aerospace Research and Development (AOARD) and the Singapore
Temasek Laboratories (TL). He is the principal author of his book on Elec-
tromagnetic Fields and Waves in Fractional Dimensional Space (Springer,
NY, USA). He has contributed more than 150 scientific works in journals and
conferences of international repute. He has been selected for the URSI Young
Scientist Award (YSA) in the URSI General Assembly (GASS), in 2021.
He has been awarded the Punjab Innovation Research Challenge Award
(PIRCA), in 2021. He has been an Associate Editor of IEEE Access and
MUHAMMAD ASHAR NAVEED received the an Editorial Board Member of IET Microwaves, Antennas and Propagation,
master’s degree from Information Technology PLOS One, and International Journal of Antennas and Propagation.
University, in 2020. He is a Graduate Student with
the Electrical and Computer Engineering Depart-
ment, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. YEHIA MASSOUD (Fellow, IEEE) is currently
Previously, he was associated as a Research the Director of the Innovative Technologies Lab-
Associate with the MicroNano Laboratory, Infor- oratories (ITL), King Abdullah University of Sci-
mation Technology University. He is the author or ence and Technology (KAUST). He has been a
coauthor of various peer-reviewed journals; and PI or a Co-PI of more than 50 million dollars of
IEEE, SPIE, and OSA conference papers. His funded research from NSF, DOD, SRC, and the
research interests include the design and simulation of solar cells, optical industry. He has published more than 500 papers
metasurfaces, chiral meta-structures, 2-D materials, MEMS, and phononic in leading peer-reviewed journals and conference
devices. publications. His current research interests include
the design of state-of-the-art innovative technolog-
ical solutions that span a broad range of technical areas, including smart
cities, autonomy, smart health, smart mobility, embedded systems, nanopho-
tonics, and spintronics. His research group was responsible for developing
the world’s first realization of compressive sensing systems for signals,
which provided an unprecedented one-order of magnitude savings in power
consumption and significant reductions in size and cost and has enabled
the implementation of self-powered sensors for smart cities and ultra-low-
power biomedical implantable devices. He was selected as one of ten MIT
Alumni Featured by the MIT’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Department, in 2012. He was a recipient of the Rising Star of Texas Medal,
NASIR MAHMOOD (Member, IEEE) received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the DAC Fellowship, the
the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Synopsys Special Recognition Engineering Award, and several best paper
the National University of Sciences and Technol- awards. He has served on the IEEE CAS Award Nomination Committee,
ogy (NUST), Pakistan. He is currently a Post- the IEEE Mac Valkenburg Award Committee, the IEEE CAS Fellow Com-
doctoral Research Fellow with the Innovative mittee, the IEEE Rebooting Computing Steering Committee, and the IEEE
Technologies Laboratories (ITL), Electrical and Nanotechnology Council. He served as the 2016 IEEE MWSCAS Technical
Computer Engineering (ECE) Department, King Program Co-Chair, the 2009 General Program Co-Chair, and the 2007 Tech-
Abdullah University of Science and Technology nical Program Co-Chair for the ACM Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI.
(KAUST), Saudi Arabia, under the supervision of He has served as an Editor for the Mixed-Signal Letters and The Americas,
Prof. Yehia Massoud. He completed his research an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration
work through collaboration with the University of Birmingham, U.K., and (VLSI) Systems and IEEE Transactions on Circuits and systems—I: Regular
the Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea. He has con- Papers, and a Guest Editor for a Special Issue for Transactions on Circuits and
tributed various research works in peer-reviewed journals and international systems—I: Regular Papers. He was also named a Distinguished Lecturer by
conferences. His current area of research is 2-D-metamaterials, meta-optics the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society.
and -photonics, and optical system design. He is a member of SPIE and OSA.

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