Fano resonance in a dolomite phase-change multilayer design for dynamically tunable omnidirectional monochromatic thermal emission

In this Letter, we unveil the unprecedented optical phonon response of CaMg(CO3)2 (dolomite) thin film in the design of a planar ultra-narrowband mid-infrared (MIR) thermal emitter. Dolomite (DLM) is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, which can inherently accommodate highly dispersive optical phonon modes. Utilizing strong interference in the Al-DLM bilayer, a lithography-free planar thermal emitter is realized with near-unity omnidirectional emission at a specific resonance wavelength of 7.12 µm. Further incorporation of embedded vanadium dioxide (VO2) phase change material (PCM) enables the excitation of hybrid Fano resonances with dynamic spectral tunability. The findings of this study can have multiple applications, ranging from biosensing and gas sensing to thermal emission.