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Physical and Optical Properties of Ultra-black Nickel–Phosphorus for a Total Solar Irradiance Measurement

The total solar irradiance at the top of the atmosphere is the primary source of energy of the Earth’s highly coupled atmosphere–land–ocean system. Small fluctuations of the solar flux density in scales from years to millennia could impact the energy balance of this system due to nonlinear effects. The quantification of this variability depends on absolute radiometers on board of space-based platforms. Although there has been significant improvement in the design and calibration of absolute radiometers during the last decades, the uncertainties in the measurements have not allowed us to untangle the natural and anthropogenic drivers of the observed changes of the climatic patterns appropriately. One of the critical components of the absolute radiometers is the coating of the sensor elements, which should absorb the radiation efficiently. Here we discuss the optical characteristics of ultra-black Nickel–Phosphorus (Ni–P) and its relations with the surface morphology. The ultra-black Ni–P has important unique properties such as low reflectance and uniformity of deposition in complex geometries. Ni–P multilayer was deposited by electroless on aluminum substrates. The surface was etched by oxidizing acid to produce ultra-black Ni–P. Characterization techniques were used to describe the properties of the material. We describe the directional reflectance employing the bidirectional reflectance distribution function. Additionally, we used reflectance maps to show the influence of the pores on the reflectance. Ultra-black Ni–P exhibited a high absorptance and dependence with the light incidence angle. Based on the results, the material demonstrated the opportunity of many terrestrial and space applications as a black coating absorber.