Electrically Controlled Thermal Radiation from Reduced Graphene Oxide Membranes

We demonstrate a fabrication procedure of hybrid devices that consist of reduced graphene oxide films supported by porous polymer membranes that host ionic solutions. We find that we can control the thermal radiation from the surface of reduced graphene oxide through a process of electrically driven reversible ionic intercalation. Through a comparative analysis of the structural, chemical, and optical properties of our reduced graphene oxide films, we identify that the dominant mechanism leading to the intercalation-induced reduction of light emission is Pauli blocking of the interband recombination of charge carriers. We inspect the capabilities of our devices to act as a platform for the electrical control of mid-infrared photonics by observing a bias-induced reduction of apparent temperature of hot surfaces visualized through an infrared thermal camera.