VO2 Thermochromic Metamaterial-Based Smart Optical Solar Reflector

• DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.8b00119
• Publication Date: 2018-04-16T15:36:20Z
• Authors: Kai Sun; Christoph A. Riedel; Alessandro Urbani; Mirko Simeoni; Sandro Mengali; Maksim Zalkovskij; Brian Bilenberg; C.H. de Groot; Otto L. Muskens
• Keywords: Reflector (photography); Absorptance

Optical solar reflector smart radiators are able to control the temperature of spacecraft. This work demonstrates a novel optical using patterned thermo-chromic VO2 plasmonic meta-surface design. The combines induced phase transition with resonances resulting in significant enhancement infrared absorption. enhanced absorption obtained at reduced coverage results superior emittance tunability Δε and lower absorptance α compared corresponding thin-film reflector. An 0.48 is for meta-reflector design, representing 30% improvement unstructured film. Meta-surface based reflectors offer new route toward energy-efficient cost-effective passive thermal systems spacecraft other surfaces.