Method and apparatus for switching optical filters

A thin film interference filter comprising:

• a first indium-tin-oxide (ITO) layer;
• an ion storage layer;
• an ion conductor layer;
• an optically transparent filter layer preventing transmission of photons having a first wavelength while transmitting photons of a second wavelength, the optically transparent filter layer having at least two different electrochromic (EC) materials;
• and
• a second ITO layer;
• wherein each EC material is selected from a group consisting of Nb2O5 and TiO2 and each EC material allows the reversible variation of the intensity of the transmitted photons while not affecting the blocked range of photons.

A method for forming an optical device, the method comprising:

• forming a first electrode layer on a substrate;
• forming a filter layer over at least a portion of the substrate, the filter layer preventing transmission of photons having a first wavelength and transmitting photons of a second wavelength, the filter layer having at least two different electrochromic (EC) materials;
• forming an ion conductor layer to at least partially cover the filter layer;
• forming an ion storage layer over the ion conductor layer;
• and
• forming a second electrode layer to at least partially cover the ion storage layer;
• wherein a combination of the first electrode layer, the filter layer, the ion conductor layer, the ion storage layer and the second electrode defines an electromagnetic circuit and wherein the amplitude of transmission of the second wavelength through the filter layer is affected by activating the electromagnetic circuit.