Rugate Filter Design and Characterization for Ultra-High Temperatures (up to 1700 °C)

Achieving thermal emission with selectivity in wavelength, angle, and polarization has a great number of potential applications, including thermal barrier coatings, thermophotovoltaics, space satellite platings, and many more. While a combination of materials and photonic design can be used to achieve high broadband selectivity through a variety of structures, the effectiveness of these approaches generally decline with temperature. In this study, we will present studies of the atomic-level interface stability between various binary and ternary oxide-containing alloys, with a special emphasis on cerium magnesium oxide, by employing Density Functional Theory (DFT). These findings will then be translated into a stabilized interface design for ultra-high temperatures. In collaboration with experimentalist colleagues, we then present the fabricated design and characterize the optical performance across a range of temperatures, and show the remaining failure modes. Finally, we suggest techniques for stabilizing these structures for longer time periods at ultra-high temperatures, and discuss the potential applications to related problems.