VO2 is a thermochromic material that has been historically incorporated in variable emissive multilayer (VEM) designs for passive thermal management. However, this remains a relatively nascent research area, and limited efforts have been directed towards optimizing the Fabry-Perot resonance VO2-based VEM design. This study presents the synthesis and characterization of VO2 films deposited using magnetron sputtering. The change in emittance (Δϵ) of VEM designs, incorporating silicon or silicon oxide spacer layers on silver reflectors, are documented. The study showcases the optimization of the VEM design, achieving a notable normal Δϵ of 0.81 with just a single layer of VO2. Additionally, enhancement layers to the VEM design are explored and experimentally detailed, demonstrating improvements in Δϵ through broadband enhanced resonance.

This dissertation is in three parts: the audio recording of a new revised version of Horatiu Radulescu's Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets (for seven identical woodwinds); an overview of Radulescu's compositional style through the analysis of both his 1974 composition treatise / booklet Sound Plasma - Music of the Future Sign and the work-cycle Fountains of My Sky; and a detailed discussion of the revision process by which I arrived at my new version of Capricorn.