Mechanically Robust Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Composites for Applications in Ultralow Reflectance Optical Elements

Some of the least reflective materials are vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs). However, VACNT films are extremely fragile, restricting the range of applications where they can be used. Here, we have formed VACNT/carbon composite films with greater than 500× stiffness and 50× strength compared to as-grown VACNTs while maintaining ultralow reflectance. This is achieved using an infiltration process that coats the individual nanotubes with a thin layer of nanocrystalline carbon, locking the nanotubes together, and then adding lateral subwavelength surface topography to the tops of the VACNTs with an oxygen plasma etch to reduce the reflectance. While still a delicate material, these composites are robust enough to be exposed to water and handled. We demonstrated that these composites can be transferred from the growth substrate to other surfaces resulting in a reflectance of less than 0.1%.