Photolithography-free switchable broadband thermal emitter based on In3SbTe2 for radiative thermal management

Radiative cooling, as a thermal management technology that requires no additional energy input, has gained widespread attention in recent years. It relies on the material's ability to radiatively dissipate heat within the specific atmospheric window (8-14 µm) band. The emission of traditional materials is typically a constant, which cannot meet the need for dynamic control. This paper investigates a photolithography-free switchable broadband thermal emitter based on In 3 SbTe 2 (IST) for radiative thermal management. By designing an IST/Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2 structure, the phase-change characteristics of IST are utilized to switch the emission state. In the “off” state, the emission is approximately 0.15, while in the “on” state, it achieves broadband high emission of around 0.86 in the atmospheric window, with an emission modulation of about 0.71. Additionally, the electric field distribution at the emission peak in the “on” state is analyzed to explore the interaction between electromagnetic waves and the layers. The influence of layer thickness, incident wave polarization, and incident angle on performance is studied, and room-temperature infrared thermal imaging simulations are conducted to visually present the emission variation under different states. The structure demonstrates significant advantages in broadband high emission and tunability, showing promising potential for improving device reliability, extending lifespan, and reducing energy consumption.