Optical Limiting Sensor Based on Multilayer Optimization of Ag/VO2 Phase Change Material

Abstract

An optical limiting sensor working in the infrared (IR) was developed to address the need for eye and sensor protection against laser threats. Metallic and dielectric photonic resonators (thin-film multilayers) incorporating phase-change-materials, such as vanadium dioxide (VO2) were simulated and experimentally realized, with optimization of the deposition procedure by RF magnetron sputtering at low temperature. For the first time, the silver is placed between the substrate and the VO2, thus improving the device limiting performances. By maximizing the difference of transmittance between the ''on'' and the ''off'' states at the standard light wavelength for telecom applications (1550 nm), w..