An optimized self-adaptive thermal radiation turn-down coating with vanadium dioxide nanowire array

Insulator-to-metal temperature phase transition Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) can enable radiative property switching in the mid- to far-infrared wavelengths. With computational optimization of grating arrangement and layer thickness parameters, we identify a monolithic high-performance turn-down thermal emittance coating of no more than 2 μm thick, consisting of a VO2 sub-wavelength nanowire grating array on an index-matched Fabry-Perot dielectric thin film on an additional absorbing VO2 sublayer. The working principles of this optimized VO2 structure are its gradient refractive index allowing high through-coating transmittance in the cold state, and its near-unity emissivity from semi-metal-insulator-metal plasmonic coupling in the hot state. This anisotropic patterned structure also considers performance over polarized incident light. A survey of other Fabry-Perot cavity materials with refractive index matching points to higher turn-down performances given an optimal VO2 nanowire volume filling ratio. With 24-hour solar and environmental analysis in comparison to other VO2 metasurfaces and multilayers, this coating enables responsive passive radiative cooling at high temperatures exceeding transition. This nano/micro-patterned coating could potentially impact self-cooling of the solar cells, batteries, and electrical devices where risk presents at high temperatures.