Periodic and non-periodic nanostructured chromogenic thin films and devices

目前研究提案的主要目标是深入研究过渡金属氧化物（TMO）纳米结构形式的显色特性，并利用这些知识设计具有增强性能的薄膜智能系统。 显色学是研究材料的领域，其中可逆的光学性质变化可以通过施加各种外力来诱导，例如电场（电致变色），热（热致变色），光（光致变色）等。在无机材料中，已知TMO如三氧化钨（WO3）、二氧化钒（VO2）、三氧化钼（MoO3）等表现出非常有效形式的显色（开关）性质，并且近年来已成为密集的基础和应用研究的对象。基于这些材料的设备的交互性正在为它们在各个领域中作为智能系统的应用让路。在我的实验室（薄膜和光子学研究小组）在蒙克顿大学在过去的几年里进行的研究已经充分证明了与各种TMO的纳米结构形式的工作的重要性。上述TMO薄膜的纳米结构化已经通过使用某些创新和先进的方法实现。据发现，这种方法TMO制造不仅导致更好地执行TMO为基础的薄膜器件，但也有可能诱导新的属性到他们。 因此，在基础研究方面的拟议工作的一个重要组成部分将致力于深入了解诱导的纳米结构和TMO薄膜的显色性能之间的相关性。目的是了解与纳米结构TMO薄膜的性质及其开关特性相关的基本物理和化学。由于a）影响电子传输的巨大晶界，B）影响这些材料中的光传播的光学常数（n，k）和孔隙率的变化，c）由于在晶粒周围产生的巨大内表面等的化学行为，这些材料的尺寸减小到纳米级预期将带来许多变化。此外，这些变化是复杂的，甚至更有趣的，从他们的基本研究的角度来看，由于可逆的动态（开关）行为的纳米结构的TMO薄膜。这些TMO的周期性纳米结构预计将导致非常有趣和可调的光子特性。基于我2010年关于生色可调光子特性的专利，将进行进一步的深入工作。 在应用研究方面，目的是利用这些周期性和非周期性纳米结构TMO薄膜获得的深入知识，制造性能更好的薄膜可切换智能系统，用于能源管理、显示设备等各个领域。

The principal objective of the current research proposal is to undertake an in-depth study of the chromogenic properties of transition metal oxides (TMO) in their nanostructured form and to use this knowledge to design thin film smart systems with enhanced performance. Chromogenics is the field of study of materials in which a reversible optical property change can be induced by applying various external forces such as an electric field (Electrochromics), heat (Themrochromics), light (Photochromics) and more. Amongst the inorganic materials, the TMOs such as, Tungsten trioxide (WO3), Vanadium dioxide (VO2), Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) and others, are known to exhibit a very efficient form of chromogenic (switching) properties and have become the object of intense basic and applied research in recent years. The interactive nature of devices based on these materials are making way to their application as smart systems in various fields. Research carried out in my laboratory (Thin Films and Photonics Research Group) at Université de Moncton over the last few years has amply demonstrated the significance of working with the nanostructured form of the various TMOs. The nanostrucuring of the above said TMO thin films has been achieved by using certain innovative and advanced methods. It is found that this approach to TMO fabrication not only leads to better performing TMO based thin film devices but also to the possibility of inducing new properties into them. Hence, an important part of the proposed work on the basic research side will be dedicated to the in-depth understanding of the correlation between the induced nanostructure and the chromogenic properties of the TMO thin films. The aim is to understand the fundamental physics and chemistry related to the properties of the nanostructured TMO thin films and their switching properties. The reduction of the dimensions of these materials to nanometric level is expected to bring about numerous changes due to the a) enormous grain boundaries affecting the electron transport, b) change in the optical constants (n,k) and porosity affecting the light propagation in these materials, c) chemical behaviour due to the enormous internal surface created around the grains and more. Also, these changes are complex and even more interesting from their fundamental study point of view due to the reversible dynamic (switching) behaviour of the nanostructured TMO thin films. The periodic nanostructuring of these TMOs are expected to lead to very interesting and tunable photonic properties. Further in-depth work based on my 2010 patent on chromogenically tunable photonic properties will be undertaken. On the applied research side, the aim is to use this in-depth knowledge gained on these periodically and non-periodically nanostructured TMO thin films to fabricate better performing thin film switchable smart systems for application in various sectors such as energy management, display devices and more.