Effective thermal control is crucial for ensuring the stable operation of spacecraft in extreme and dynamically changing space environments. Electrochromic materials, capable of reversibly modulating optical properties such as solar absorptivity and infrared emissivity under an applied electric field, represent a promising pathway for next-generation adaptive thermal management systems. However, existing technologies are often limited by narrow emissivity modulation ranges, high power consumption, or compromised visible-light transparency. In this work, we introduce a variable emissivity device based on a memristor architecture with an ITO/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/ITO heterostructure. The device exhibits a significant infrared emissivity modulation of 0.52 across the 2.5-25 μm wavelength range while retaining high visible-light transmittance (81.23%). Comprehensive experimental characterization and electrochemical analysis confirm that the resistive switching behavior is primarily governed by controlled charge redistribution via oxygen vacancy migration and modulated phonon-polariton interactions. Our findings not only elucidate the fundamental physical mechanisms behind emissivity modulation in memristors but also underscore their potential for multilevel, energy-efficient thermal control in aerospace applications, addressing the growing demand for dynamic and durable thermal control solutions.
Wang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.