Infrared-sensitive electrochromic device based on VO2

Abstract

The field-effect transistor (FET) provides an electrical switching function of current flowing through a channel surface by external voltage. Here, we report on a field-effect device that enables electrical switching of optical transmittance as well as conventional electrical current. We investigated optical properties of vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film under the presence of electric field generated at the interface between VO2 and ionic liquid in a FET geometry, and found that the device exhibits clear electrochromic effect with large ON/OFF contrast only in the infrared region, potentially beneficial for energy-saving smart window applications as a voltage-tunable transparent heat-cutting filter.