Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films
The increasing demand for optical technologies with dynamic spectral control has driven interest in chromogenic materials, particularly for applications in tunable infrared metasurfaces. Phase-change materials such as vanadium dioxide and germanium–antimony–tellurium, for instance, have been widely...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Optics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3269/6/2/20 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849705031257817088 |
|---|---|
| author | Nuren Z. Shuchi Tyler J. Adams Naz F. Tumpa Dustin Louisos Glenn D. Boreman Michael G. Walter Tino Hofmann |
| author_facet | Nuren Z. Shuchi Tyler J. Adams Naz F. Tumpa Dustin Louisos Glenn D. Boreman Michael G. Walter Tino Hofmann |
| author_sort | Nuren Z. Shuchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing demand for optical technologies with dynamic spectral control has driven interest in chromogenic materials, particularly for applications in tunable infrared metasurfaces. Phase-change materials such as vanadium dioxide and germanium–antimony–tellurium, for instance, have been widely used in the infrared regime. However, their reliance on thermal and electrical tuning introduces challenges such as high power consumption, limited emissivity tuning, and slow modulation speeds. Photochromic materials may offer an alternative approach to dynamic infrared metasurfaces, potentially overcoming these limitations through rapid, light-induced changes in their optical properties. This manuscript explores the potential of thiazolothiazole-embedded polymers, known for their reversible photochromic transitions and strong infrared absorption changes, for use in tunable infrared metasurfaces. The material exhibits low absorption and a strong photochromic contrast in the spectral range from 1500 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>cm</mi><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> to 1700 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>cm</mi><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, making it suitable for dynamic infrared light control. This manuscript reports on infrared imaging experiments demonstrating the photochromic contrast in thiazolothiazole-embedded polymer, and thereby provides compelling evidence for its potential applications in dynamic infrared metasurfaces. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cd2bd5bb2054845bfd1547e661dea83 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-3269 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Optics |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cd2bd5bb2054845bfd1547e661dea832025-08-20T03:16:35ZengMDPI AGOptics2673-32692025-05-01622010.3390/opt6020020Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer FilmsNuren Z. Shuchi0Tyler J. Adams1Naz F. Tumpa2Dustin Louisos3Glenn D. Boreman4Michael G. Walter5Tino Hofmann6Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USADepartment of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USADepartment of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USADepartment of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102, USAThe increasing demand for optical technologies with dynamic spectral control has driven interest in chromogenic materials, particularly for applications in tunable infrared metasurfaces. Phase-change materials such as vanadium dioxide and germanium–antimony–tellurium, for instance, have been widely used in the infrared regime. However, their reliance on thermal and electrical tuning introduces challenges such as high power consumption, limited emissivity tuning, and slow modulation speeds. Photochromic materials may offer an alternative approach to dynamic infrared metasurfaces, potentially overcoming these limitations through rapid, light-induced changes in their optical properties. This manuscript explores the potential of thiazolothiazole-embedded polymers, known for their reversible photochromic transitions and strong infrared absorption changes, for use in tunable infrared metasurfaces. The material exhibits low absorption and a strong photochromic contrast in the spectral range from 1500 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>cm</mi><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> to 1700 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>cm</mi><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, making it suitable for dynamic infrared light control. This manuscript reports on infrared imaging experiments demonstrating the photochromic contrast in thiazolothiazole-embedded polymer, and thereby provides compelling evidence for its potential applications in dynamic infrared metasurfaces.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3269/6/2/20infrared imagingchromogenic thiazolothiazolephotochromic contrastdynamic light control |
| spellingShingle | Nuren Z. Shuchi Tyler J. Adams Naz F. Tumpa Dustin Louisos Glenn D. Boreman Michael G. Walter Tino Hofmann Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films Optics infrared imaging chromogenic thiazolothiazole photochromic contrast dynamic light control |
| title | Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films |
| title_full | Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films |
| title_fullStr | Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films |
| title_short | Infrared Imaging of Photochromic Contrast in Thiazolothiazole-Embedded Polymer Films |
| title_sort | infrared imaging of photochromic contrast in thiazolothiazole embedded polymer films |
| topic | infrared imaging chromogenic thiazolothiazole photochromic contrast dynamic light control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3269/6/2/20 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nurenzshuchi infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms AT tylerjadams infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms AT nazftumpa infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms AT dustinlouisos infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms AT glenndboreman infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms AT michaelgwalter infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms AT tinohofmann infraredimagingofphotochromiccontrastinthiazolothiazoleembeddedpolymerfilms |