Combined ‘moth-eye’ structured and graded index-layer anti-reflecting coating for high index glasses

We present a hybrid antireflective coating (ARC) providing a complete continuous graded refractive index (GRIN) transition from a high-index substrate down to ambient air. The ARC comprises a first GRIN layer of dense silicon-oxy-nitride with a varying, height adjusted material composition. Secondly, a layer of quasi-periodic nanopillars imitating AR-"moth-eye structure" is added to the dense GRIN layer. Demonstrated on a high index glass with a refractive index of n_e=1.73 the hybrid GRIN-ARC is applicable to a broad material selection and allows to eliminate any step-like transition up to a refractive index of the substrate of ∼2.0. The ARC offers antireflective properties for large incidence angles and over an extremely broad spectrum ranging from 400 nm up to 2.5 µm. Compared to the sole substrate, the hybrid GRIN-ARC results in an increase of transmittance of more than 10% in the maximum, and more than 6% in the peripheral regions of the spectrum.