RT journal article
T1 A multi-modal study on the metal-to-insulator transition and optoelectronic properties of laser-textured W-VO2 thin films
A1 Calderón Solis,  José Lorenzo
A1 Outón Porras, Javier
A1 Blanco Ollero, Eduardo
A1 Domínguez de la Vega, Manuel
A1 Ramírez del Solar, Milagrosa
A2 Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica
A2 Física Aplicada
A2 Física de la Materia Condensada
K1 W-doped VO2
K1 Metal-to-insulator transition
K1 Smart windows
K1 Ultrashort pulsed laser technology
K1 Ellipsometry
K1 Atomic force microscopy
AB Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has emerged as one of the most attractive candidates for thermochromic coatings in smart windows, due to its ability to reversibly regulate solar infrared transmission through a metal-to-insulator transition (MIT). W-doped VO2 (M1) thin films were synthesized by a polymer-assisted sol-gel route and deposited onto borosilicate glass by dip-coating. Optimization of the thermal treatment and doping with 1 wt% of W6+ yielded a pronounced reduction of the phase transition temperature from 68 °C to 37.5 °C, together with a well-defined thermochromic response in the UV–Vis–NIR range. Moreover, a comprehensive optical characterization was performed by spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry, combined with the study of nanomechanical, textural and electrical properties of the thin films through diverse Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) modes. The combination of these techniques has revealed distinct evolutions of the optical and electronic properties across the MIT, thereby providing further insight on its nature. Furthermore, novel line-based ultrashort-pulse laser texturing patterns were developed to selectively remove portions of the film while allowing more control over the laser ablated area. Results indicate that these laser treatments can increase luminous transmittance in thin films by 30 % while preserving their solar and IR modulation, thus enhancing the applicability of W-VO2 thin films in smart window technologies. The incorporation of a textured sample into a proof of concept thermochromic system produced a 50 % reduction in system heating after IR radiation, compared with an equivalent plain-glass system, thus demonstrating the practical thermal-management benefits of these W-doped VO2 textured samples.
PB Elsevier
SN 2588-8420
YR 2026
FD 2026-03
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39077
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39077
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 05-nov-2026