Inorganic electrochromic metasurface in the visible

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a visible-range electrochromic metasurface using tungsten trioxide resonators that can reversibly switch colors with applied voltage, enabling advanced display and smart window applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel electrochromic metasurface with high color purity and tunability based solely on WO3 resonators, advancing active structural color control.

Findings

Achieved a large color gamut with high intensity and purity.

Demonstrated reversible switching of colors using voltage.

Enabled potential applications in smart windows and displays.

Abstract

Colour printing based on metallic or dielectric nanostructures has revolutionized colour science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution. Evidently, the evolution towards the active control of such structural colours with smart materials is in progress for real applications. Here we experimentally demonstrate a large colour gamut with high intensity and purity, as well as its switching on and off based solely on tungsten trioxide (WO3) cylindrical resonators. The strong resonances in the visible spectral range in these WO3 metasurfaces can be reversibly switched on and off due to its electrochromism by applying alternating voltages of +2.0 V and -0.3 V. Our approach opens up possibilities for the functional diversification of commercial smart windows, as well as the development of new display technologies in the future.