Terbium-Doped VO2 Thin Films: Reduced Phase Transition Temperature and Largely Enhanced Luminous Transmittance

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a well-known thermochromic material with large IR modulating ability, promising for energy-saving smart windows. The main drawbacks of VO2 are its high phase transition temperature (τ(c) = 68°C), low luminous transmission (T(lum)), and weak solar modulating ability (ΔT(sol)). In this paper, the terbium cation (Tb(3+)) doping was first reported to reduce τ(c) and increase T(lum) of VO2 thin films. Compared with pristine VO2, 2 at. % doping level gives both enhanced T(lum) and ΔT(sol) from 45.8% to 54.0% and 7.7% to 8.3%, respectively. The T(lum) increases with continuous Tb(3+) doping and reaches 79.4% at 6 at. % doping level, representing ∼73.4% relative increment compared with pure VO2. This has surpassed the best reported doped VO2 thin films. The enhanced thermochromic properties is meaningful for smart window applications of VO2 materials.