Epsilon near zero metal oxide based spectrally selective reflectors

Abstract: Epsilon near zero (ENZ) materials can contribute significantly to the advancement of spectrally selective coatings aimed at enhancing efficient use of solar radiation and thermal energy management. Here, we demonstrate a subwavelength thick, multilayer optical coating that imparts a spectrally "step function" like reflectivity onto diverse surfaces, from stainless steel to glass, employing indium tin oxide as the key ENZ material. The coating, harnessing the ENZ and plasmonic properties of nominally nanostructured ITO along with ultrathin layers of Cr and Cr2O3 show 15% reflectivity over the visible to near-infrared and 80% reflectivity (and low emissivity) beyond a cut-in wavelength around 1500 nm, which is tunable in the infrared. A combination of simulations and experimental results are used to optimize the coating architecture and gain insights into the relevance of the components. The straightforward design with high thermal stability will find applications requiring passive cooling.