Tunable reflective color filters based on asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavities employing ultrathin Ge2Sb2Te5 as a broadband absorber

We demonstrated a tunable structural color filter based on an asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity employing germanium antimony tellurium alloy Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) as a switchable ultrathin lossy layer. The color tunability and switch mechanism of our designed structure were investigated by both simulation and analytical approaches. Both numerical simulations and analytical results show that the tunable reflective colors can be generated through the reversible phase transition of GST from amorphous to crystalline. Additionally, the generated colors possess high brightness, high saturation, and a wide gamut. Our designed structure will inspire phase-transition-based systems' potential applications in colorimetric sensing, smart windows, full-color printing and displays, anti-counterfeiting, and data encryption. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America