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Carrier-induced absorption as a mechanism for electrochromism in tungsten trioxide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2018

Wennie Wang*
Affiliation:
Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050, USA
Hartwin Peelaers
Affiliation:
Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050, USA
Jimmy-Xuan Shen
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9530, USA
Chris G. Van de Walle
Affiliation:
Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050, USA
*
Address all correspondence to Wennie Wang at [email protected]
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Abstract

We present a first-principles investigation on the optical absorption of tungsten trioxide, an electrochromic material. Using state-of-the-art techniques, the absorption spectra are calculated for the cubic, monoclinic, and amorphous phases. For both crystalline and disordered structures, doping induces strong absorption in the infrared. Absorption in the visible range increases with the degree of structural distortion; the absorption coefficient in the blue exceeds 103 cm−1 at doping levels above 1020 cm−3 in the monoclinic phase. Increased disorder in disordered structures significantly enhances the visible-range absorption. We identify the microscopic mechanism as optical absorption originating at conduction-band-derived states that are filled by doping.

Type
Research Letters
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

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