Vanadium dioxide-based metasurface for temperature-adaptive radiative cooling

As a passive cooling method, radiative cooling is intrinsically energy-efficient and environmentally friendly because it consumes no electric energy and releases no carbon emissions. Smart radiative cooling introduces a new dimension to the current research playground, especially with the use of vanadium dioxide (VO2) to enable passively adaptive temperature-varying response. Here, we propose a temperature-adaptive radiative cooling metasurface based on a two-size VO2 microstructure for broadband absorption in the 8 to 13 μm atmospheric window, showing a cooling power contrast of ∼100 W/m2 around the phase transition temperature. We show the dynamic capability of the next-generation multifunctional and intelligent designs and devices.