We demonstrate, for the first time, a spatially dependent metamaterial perfect absorber operating in the infrared regime. We achieve an experimental absorption of 97% at a wavelength of $6.0\mu \mathrm{m}$, and our results agree well with numerical full-wave simulations. By using two different metamaterial sublattices we experimentally demonstrate a spatial and frequency varying absorption which may have many relevant applications, including hyperspectral subsampling imaging.

• Received 9 February 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.207403