A high-performance dynamic thermal regulator based on the phase-switchable In3SbTe2

Abstract

Dynamic thermal regulation is a technology that leverages tunable regulators to achieve thermal management, exhibiting great potential to mitigate global energy issues. The regulators can achieve optical property transitions in response to external stimuli, such as temperature or mechanical regulation, thereby enabling passive or active thermal regulation and management. However, achieving flexible and quick dynamic thermal regulation in humid and hot environmental conditions is still challenging. Here, we propose a dynamic thermal regulator (DTR) based on the phase transition of In₃SbTe₂ (IST) which can achieve flexible and fast active regulation by voltage application for adaptive radiative heat management. Benefiting from the phase switch of the IST layer, the proposed DTR achieves a tunable thermal emittance within the atmospheric transparency window, ranging from 0.16 to 0.8. Thermal analysis reveals that the DTR maintains an average surface temperature of 8.11 K below ambient in hot conditions. This cooling effect is suppressed in cold conditions to insulate the heat. As a result, the proposed DTR can save more than 18 kWh·m⁻²·year⁻¹·in the world's major cities. This high-performance DTR design sets the stage for more long-lasting building energy systems and offers prospective solutions for energy savings across various climates.