Ultra‐Efficient Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling Enabled by Dual‐Selective Inorganic SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> Photonic Emitter

Abstract Radiative cooling is a zero‐energy technology that enables subambient cooling by emitting heat into outer space (≈3K) via the atmospheric transparent windows. However, existing designs predominantly focus only on the primary atmospheric window (8–13 µm) and neglect another window (16–25 µm), underutilizing their cooling potential. Moreover, widely utilized organic radiative cooling metamaterials face significant challenges, including oxidation, degradation, and delamination, which ultimately reduce their operational lifespan. In this work, a dual‐selective emitter is demonstrated based on an inorganic multilayer SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 photonic structure. Outdoor experiments demonstrate that the emitter achieves notable subambient cooling (≈12.6 °C) and a cooling power of 141.4 under a solar irradiance of over 900, exceeding the performance of existing inorganic multilayer thermal emitters. Moreover, this emitter's substantial application potential is revealed in building cooling energy conservation with estimated annual energy savings of ≈129.1 in hot climates through numerical simulations, thereby facilitating meaningful reductions in fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This work offers a scalable and practical radiative cooling solution for sustainable thermal management with superior performance.

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Publication Details

Journal
Laser & Photonics Review
Published
2025-03-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202500068
Citations
10
Primary Topic
Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
9.53

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article

Ultra‐Efficient Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling Enabled by Dual‐Selective Inorganic SiO2/Si3N4 Photonic Emitter

Qingqing Cai, Tianshu Lai, Houhong Chen, Ke Chen et al.
10 citations
Laser & Photonics Review
Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
9.53
article

Ultra‐Efficient Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling Enabled by Dual‐Selective Inorganic SiO2/Si3N4 Photonic Emitter

Qingqing Cai, Tianshu Lai, Houhong Chen, Ke Chen, Fei Ma, X. W. Fan, Hao Cheng, Lixia Cheng, Jiangwei Deng
article en
10 citations

Abstract

Abstract Radiative cooling is a zero‐energy technology that enables subambient cooling by emitting heat into outer space (≈3K) via the atmospheric transparent windows. However, existing designs predominantly focus only on the primary atmospheric window (8–13 µm) and neglect another window (16–25 µm), underutilizing their cooling potential. Moreover, widely utilized organic radiative cooling metamaterials face significant challenges, including oxidation, degradation, and delamination, which ultimately reduce their operational lifespan. In this work, a dual‐selective emitter is demonstrated based on an inorganic multilayer SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 photonic structure. Outdoor experiments demonstrate that the emitter achieves notable subambient cooling (≈12.6 °C) and a cooling power of 141.4 under a solar irradiance of over 900, exceeding the performance of existing inorganic multilayer thermal emitters. Moreover, this emitter's substantial application potential is revealed in building cooling energy conservation with estimated annual energy savings of ≈129.1 in hot climates through numerical simulations, thereby facilitating meaningful reductions in fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This work offers a scalable and practical radiative cooling solution for sustainable thermal management with superior performance.

Laser & Photonics ReviewVol. 19(12)
Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
9.53
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