Hybrid optical coating design for omnidirectional antireflection purposes

We present a new design for an omnidirectional antireflection coating for the visible spectral range. In contrast to classical designs, it combines homogeneous layers and linear gradient index layers into one hybrid design with a full thickness of approximately 500 nm. The coating may be practically produced based on silicon dioxide as low index material and niobium pentoxide as high index material, while intermediate indices may be obtained from corresponding mixtures.