Thermal Emission Control via Twist Tuning of Embedded Eigenstates in α-MoO₃ Nanostructures

The rapidly advancing field of thermal emission engineering, fueled by the intricate manipulation of nanomaterials and nanostructures, holds significant potential for a plethora of applications, including lighting, energy harvesting, and imaging. However, current nanostructures grapple with challenges in fabrication and insufficient control over vital parameters such as emission intensity and spectral composition, thereby necessitating alternative approaches. In this work, we introduce an innovative method that fully exploits the unique properties at the nanoscale, notably, the in-plane hyperbolic response of α-MoO 3 and the embedded eigenstates facilitated by epsilon-near-zero conditions. Our approach primarily hinges on the exceptional tunability introduced through twisting in α-MoO 3 nanoheterostructures. By adjusting the twist angle, we can manipulate the system’s properties, transforming it from a near-perfect reflector to an ideal absorber. This allows for precise control over the thermal emission power, spanning an order of magnitude. Moreover, our research reveals a substantial angular dependence of thermal emission, which intriguingly varies with the relative rotation. This highlights another degree of control at the nanoscale, illuminating the potential of our pioneering approach to significantly impact the trajectory of thermal emission engineering.