Self-adaptive control of infrared emissivity in a solution-processed plasmonic structure

Active control of optical properties, particularly in the infrared (IR) regime, is critical for the regulation of thermal emission. However, most photonic structures and devices are based on a sophisticated design, making the dynamic control of their IR properties challenging. Here, we demonstrate self-adaptive control of IR absorptivity/emissivity in a simple stacked structure that consists of an oxide plasmonic nanocrystal layer and a phase change material (VO₂) layer, both fabricated via a solution process. The resonance wavelength and emission intensity for this structure depend on the phase of the VO₂. This has potential applications for thermal emission structures (e.g., self-adaptive radiative cooling and IR camouflage). The proposed structure is a candidate low-cost and scalable active photonic platform.