Tunable multispectral near-infrared absorption with a phase transition of VO2 nanoparticles hybridized with 1D photonic crystals

摘要

We theoretically demonstrate a switchable multichannel near-infrared absorber in a composite structure based on vanadium dioxide nanoparticles embedded between two and one-dimensional photonic crystal mirrors. A switching of absorption behavior is induced through the reversible semiconductor-to-metal phase transition of vanadium dioxide nanoparticles via its temperature-dependent permittivity-thermo-optical effect. This behavior leads to a multi-wavelength reconfigurable optical response of the proposed structure from poorly absorbing to highly absorbing. For example, there is the possibility of enhancement of absorption from similar to 0.14 to similar to 0.75 at normal incidence of light by increasing the temperature beyond the critical value of similar to 341 K when the vanadium dioxide nanoparticles transform from a semiconducting state into a metallic one. These properties make the considered structure applicable for use in multiband absorbers, light detectors, and optical switching devices.