UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, CA, USA. Researchers have just found a new way to make smart windows even smarter. This time, they were able to create a whole new way we look at windows, literally.

As compared to the existing technology being used for glass windows, this new material is a thin coating of nanocrystals embedded in glass which can modify sunlight as it passes through the treated glass window. At the same time, this new type of coating provides selective control over heat-producing near-infrared and visible light. As a result, the glass window can make the most out of energy savings and comfort in different temperatures.

Another technique used to make it more efficient is through electric current. Electric current switches the glass window function on and off which makes it even more interesting. Indium tin oxide (ITO) plays a very important role in this technique as it is highly conductive.

They also refer to indium tin oxide as the new “designer” electrochromic material. It is widely used for touchscreens and LCD because it allows the material to absorb heat energy from near-infrared light as electricity passes through it. It is then embedded in glass made from niobium oxide which will darken as it gets exposed to an electric current. As a result, it effectively tints the windows to filter the heat and light that comes through it.

Delia Milliron, a chemist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (operated by the University of California), led the team of researchers who worked on the study. She claims that the most exciting part has been taking their project all the way from synthesizing a new material, to understanding it in great detail, and finally to realizing a completely new functionality that can have a big impact on technology.