Quantum Computing Optimization Used to Develop Cooling Window Coating

According to a report in the scientific journal ACS Energy Letters, the researchers created a transparent window coating that blocks the sun’s ultraviolet and near-infrared light. The achievement is noteworthy since these wavelengths typically pass through glass and heat an enclosed room. 

The new window coating also radiates heat from its surface at a wavelength that can cross into the atmosphere.  

Researchers seeking to achieve these criteria simultaneously have found it challenging to maintain window transparency. However, the team, led by Eungkyu Lee and Tengfei Luo, designed a “transparent radiative cooler” (TRC) that achieved this goal.

The team created computer models of candidate TRCs, each consisting of alternating thin layers of silicon dioxide,

The team required an iterative process to achieve their breakthrough. Quantum computing enabled the team to efficiently test all possible layer combinations in a split second. The end product was a fabricated coating design that outperformed conventional TRCs and even commercial heat-reduction glass. 

The researchers claim that their window coating can reduce cooling energy consumption by up to 31% compared with conventional windows in a hot and dry climate. They also say that their window coating can be used in other applications, such as car and truck windows. 

The researchers added that their quantum computing-enabled optimization technique would enable them to produce other complex, functional composite materials.