ABSTRACT
Hysteresis loops exhibited by the thermal properties of undoped and 0.8 at.% W-doped nanocrystalline powders of VO2 synthesized by means of the solution combustion method and compacted in pellets, are experimentally measured by photothermal radiometry. It is shown that: (i) the W doping reduces both the hysteresis loops of VO2 and its transition temperature up to 15 °C. (ii) The thermal diffusivity decreases (increases) until (after) the metallic domains become dominant in the VO2 insulating matrix, such that its variation across the metal-insulation transition is enhanced by 23.5% with W-0.8 at.% doping. By contrast, thermal conductivity (thermal effusivity) increases up to 45% (40%) as the metallic phase emerges in the VO2 structure due to the insulator-to-metal transition, and it enhances up to 11% (25%) in the insulator state when the local rutile phase is induced by the tungsten doping. (iii) The characteristic peak of the VO2 specific heat capacity is observed in both heating and cooling processes, such that the phase transition of the 0.8 at.% W-doped sample requires about 24% less thermal energy than the undoped one. (iv) The impact of the W doping on the four above-mentioned thermal properties of VO2 mainly shows up in its insulator phase, as a result of the distortion of the local lattice induced by the electrons of tungsten. W doping at 0.8 at.% thus enhances the VO2 capability to transport heat but diminishes its thermal switching efficiency.
ABSTRACT
Hysteresis loops in the emissivity of VO2 thin films grown on sapphire and silicon substrates by a pulsed laser deposition process are experimentally measured through the thermal-wave resonant cavity technique. Remarkable variations of about 43% are observed in the emissivity of both VO2 films, within their insulator-to-metal and metal-to-insulator transitions. It is shown that: i) The principal hysteresis width (maximum slope) in the VO2 emissivity of the VO2 + silicon sample is around 3 times higher (lower) than the corresponding one of the VO2 + sapphire sample. VO2 synthesized on silicon thus exhibits a wider principal hysteresis loop with slower MIT than VO2 on sapphire, as a result of the significant differences on the VO2 film microstructures induced by the silicon or sapphire substrates. ii) The hysteresis width along with the rate of change of the VO2 emissivity in a VO2 + substrate sample can be tuned with its secondary hysteresis loop. iii) VO2 samples can be used to build a radiative thermal diode able to operate with a rectification factor as high as 87%, when the temperature difference of its two terminals is around 17 °C. This record-breaking rectification constitutes the highest one reported in literature, for a relatively small temperature change of diode terminals.
ABSTRACT
We present a thermal rectification device concept based on far-field radiative exchange between two selective emitters. Rectification is achieved due to a large contrast between the two selective emitters' thermo-optical properties. A simple device constituted by two multilayer samples made of metallic (Au) and semiconductor (Si and HDSi) thin films is proposed. This device shows a rectification ratio increasing with temperature up to 19% for a temperature difference of ΔT=370 K. Further optimization would allow larger rectification values. The presented results might be useful for energy conversion devices, engineering of smart radiative coolers/insulators, and development of thermal logical circuits.
ABSTRACT
The paper discusses the possibility to apply network identification by deconvolution (NID) method to the analysis of the thermal transient behavior due to a laser delta pulse excitation in a pump-probe transient thermoreflectance experiment. NID is a method based on linear RC network theory using Fourier's law of heat conduction. This approach allows the extraction of the thermal time constant spectrum of the sample under study after excitation by either a step or pulse function. Furthermore, using some mathematical transformations, the method allows analyzing the detail of the heat flux path through the sample, starting from the excited top free surface, by introducing two characteristic functions: the cumulative structure function and the differential structure function. We start by a review of the theoretical background of the NID method in the case of a step function excitation and then show how this method can be adjusted to be used in the case of a delta pulse function excitation. We show how the NID method can be extended to analyze the thermal transients of many optical experiments in which the excitation function is a laser pulse. The effect of the semi-infinite substrate as well as extraction of the interface and thin film thermal resistances will be discussed.