A high-performance optical absorber is provided having a texturized base layer. The base layer has one or more of a polymer film and a polymer coating. A surface layer is located above and immediately adjacent to the base layer and the surface layer joined to the base layer. The surface layer comprises a plasma-functionalized, non-woven carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet, wherein the base layer texturization comprises one or more of substantially rectangular ridges, substantially triangular ridges, substantially pyramidal ridges, and truncated, substantially pyramidal ridges. The CNT sheet has a thickness greater than or equal to 10×λ, where λ is the wavelength of the incident light. In certain embodiments the base layer has a height above the surface layer greater than or equal to 10×λ, where λ is the wavelength of the incident light.