Toward a quantitative model for suspended particle devices: optical scattering and absorption coefficients Articles uri icon

publication date

  • April 2013

start page

  • 115

end page

  • 122

volume

  • 111

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0927-0248

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1879-3398

abstract

  • Suspended particle devices (SPDs) allow rapid voltage-controlled modulation of their optical transmittance and are of interest for solar-energy-related and other applications. We investigated the spectral total and diffuse transmittance of an SPD, including its angular dependence. The optical modulation was large for visible light but almost nil in the infrared, and the devices had noticeable haze. A theoretical two-flux model was formulated and provided a quantitative description of the absorption and scattering coefficients and thereby of the detailed optical performance. This analysis gives a benchmark for assessing improvements of the SPD technology as well as for comparing it with alternative technologies for optical modulation.

subjects

  • Electronics
  • Optics

keywords

  • suspended particle device; optical properties; diffuse transmittance and reflectance; scattering and absorption coefficients; two-flux theory