This technology is a thin film material containing an optically active perovskite that can be tuned between opaque and transparent states over a broad spectral range with electron doping.
Current optical modulators that undergo phase transitions with application of electrical field typically require high voltages for operation and are limited in application to large devices. Additionally, in all common actively tunable optical materials (including those commercially available and developed in research labs), optical refractive index changes either have limited magnitude, or significant refractive index changes can only occur within a limited wavelength range or over a limited spatial volume. As a result, no methods currently exist to meet the growing demand requirements of device miniaturization and large-scale integration in modern photonic systems.
This technology describes an inorganic solid-state material containing samarium nickelate (SmNiO3) that can be modulated between an optically transparent and opaque state via electron doping. A deposited thin film of the material can be tuned over a broad range spectrum from 400nm to 20 m. This optoelectronic phase change occurs through a reversible, non-volatile and temperature-independent process under ambient conditions that are ideal for direct applications of the technology. As a result, this technology offers an improved method for various applications, including controlling thermal radiation to building “intelligent” coatings for infrared camouflage and thermoregulation.
This technology has been validated using thin-film SmNiO3 to demonstrate strong optical modulation.
Patent Pending (US 20180059440)
IR CU17040
Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel