A Vanadium Dioxide-PMMA Composite For Microwave Radiation Switching.

Reconfigurable radio-frequency components are in high demand for modern communication systems as they can be involved in multiband and multistandard electronic devices. The key part of such components is an active switching element. This work offers a way to obtain an efficient microwave switch using vanadium dioxide-poly (methyl methacrylate) composite. Differential scanning calorimetry, SQUID magnetometery, and impedance spectroscopy measurements were used to characterize the phase transition in the proposed composite. Temperature induced metal-insulator transition occurs at technologically attractive 341 K. The transition leads to a change of microwave transmission trough VO2 -PMMA composite from -4.9 dB for low-temperature monoclinic form to -5.8 dB for high-temperature rutile form. This provides an ability to tune the material's transparency in the microwave range, while the shaping polymer matrix provides the proper mechanical processability of the switching element.

Tunable microwave absorption of switchable complexes operating near room temperature.

Materials that are able to switch microwave radiation are strongly desired for their potential applications in electronic devices. In this paper, we show the spin-dependant interaction of spin-crossover materials with microwave radiation, namely, the ability of coordination compounds [Fe(NH2trz)3]Br2 and [Fe(NH2trz)3](NO3)2 that undergo a cooperative spin transition between low-spin and high-spin states to operate as thermoswitchable microwave absorbers. The characteristics of the microwave reflection and transmission of these spin-crossover complexes were investigated at variable temperatures. The evolution of both the transmission and reflection spectra in the 26-37 GHz frequency band within the temperature range of spin crossover showed significant differences in the interaction of microwave radiation with the high-spin and low-spin forms of the compounds. The microwave transmission coefficient shows a notable decrease upon transition to the high-spin state, while the reflection coefficient can be both increased or decreased on the characteristic frequencies during the spin transition. The different microwave absorbing properties of the low-spin and high-spin forms are found to be associated with a notable microwave permittivity change upon spin crossover. The switchable microwave reflection/transmission correlates well with the transition characteristics found in the optical and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. These results widen the spectroscopic range in which spin-crossover materials can be applied and contribute to the creation of a preliminary database of the microwave absorbing properties of spin-crossover complexes.

Spin-Crossover Materials towards Microwave Radiation Switches.

Microwave electromagnetic radiation that ranges from one meter to one millimetre wavelengths is finding numerous applications for wireless communication, navigation and detection, which makes materials able to tune microwave radiation getting widespread interest. Here we offer a new way to tune GHz frequency radiation by using spin-crossover complexes that are known to change their various physical properties under the influence of diverse external stimuli. As a result of electronic re-configuration process, microwave absorption properties differ for high spin and low spin forms of the complex. The evolution of a microwave absorption spectrum for the switchable compound within the region of thermal transition indicates that the high-spin and the low-spin forms are characterized by a different attenuation of electromagnetic waves. Absorption and reflection coefficients were found to be higher in the high-spin state comparing to the low-spin state. These results reveal a considerable potential for the implementation of spin-crossover materials into different elements of microwave signal switching and wireless communication.