Broadband anti-reflection (AR) coatings are essential elements for improving the photocurrent generation of photovoltaic modules and enhancing visibility in optical devices. In this paper, we report a hybrid-structured, anti-reflection coating that combines multi-layer thin films with a single top-oblique deposited layer. By simply introducing this low-refractive index layer, the broadband anti-reflection properties of optical thin films can be improved while simplifying the preparation. Precise time-controlled and oblique-angle deposition (OAD) methods were used to fabricate the broadband AR coating. By accurately measuring and adjusting the design errors for the thin and thick film layers, 22-layer and 36-layer AR coatings on a sapphire substrate with a 400–2000 nm wideband were obtained. This bottom-up preparation process and AR coating design have the potential to significantly enhance the broadband antireflective properties for many optical systems and reduce the manufacturing cost of broadband AR coatings.

The predecessor of China Optics was China Optics and Applied Optics Digest, which was founded in 1985. At that time, it was the only retrieval journal in the field of optics in China. At the end of 2008, China Optics and Applied Optics Digest was renamed 《中国光学》的前身是1985年创办的《中国光学与应用光学文摘》，当时是国内光学领域唯一的检索刊物。2008年底《中国光学与应用光学文摘》转型更名为《中国光学与应用光学》期刊，刊载内容突破了文摘的限制，正式成为学术刊物。