Vanadium Dioxide as a Natural Disordered Metamaterial: Perfect Thermal Emission and Large Broadband Negative Differential Thermal Emittance

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate that a thin (approximately 150-nm) film of vanadium dioxide (VO_{2}) deposited on sapphire has an anomalous thermal emittance profile when heated, which arises because of the optical interaction between the film and the substrate when the VO_{2} is at an intermediate state of its insulator-metal transition (IMT). Within the IMT region, the VO_{2} film comprises nanoscale islands of the metal and dielectric phases and can thus be viewed as a natural, disordered metamaterial. This structure displays “perfect” blackbodylike thermal emissivity over a narrow wavelength range (approximately 40 cm^{-1}), surpassing the emissivity of our black-soot reference. We observe large broadband negative differential thermal emittance over a >10 °C range: Upon heating, the VO_{2}-sapphire structure emits less thermal radiation and appears colder on an infrared camera. Our experimental approach allows for a direct measurement and extraction of wavelength- and temperature-dependent thermal emittance. We anticipate that emissivity engineering with thin-film geometries comprising VO_{2} and other thermochromic materials will find applications in infrared camouflage, thermal regulation, and infrared tagging and labeling.