A Novel Instrument for Probing Near-Field Radiation and Thermophotovoltaic Energy Conversion in Nanostructured and Low Bandgap Materials
Abstract
We propose to design and build a unique instrument that enables for the first time systematic study of novel thermophotovoltaic energy conversion mechanisms that leverage nanoscale radiation. Specifically, we seek to build an ultra-stable, six-degree of freedom nanopositioning platform (housed in ultra-high vacuum) that is integrated with a custom-built confocal metrology system and a fast fourier transform infrared spectrometer. This system will allow us to parallelize planar surfaces and control their spatial separation from micrometers all the way to below 10 nm, characterize device surface structures with better than diffraction-limited resolution and enable detailed, spatially resolved spectral analysis of the near-field radiative properties of emitter and receiver device surfaces. Using this instrument we will perform several studies that are critical for a variety of current and future projects of interest to the ARMY. Specifically, we seek to use this platform to explore the mechanisms of heat to electricity conversion in devices created from low bandgap and nanostructured materials. This instrument will be extensively used in collaboration with researchers at ARL to address a range of questions regarding near-field thermophotovoltaics that represent a technically sophisticated advance building upon the fundamental breakthroughs we achieved recently (Song et al. Nature Nanotechnology (2015), and Kim et al. Nature, In Press) under a current ARO project. The training provided to students and postdocs during the development of this sophisticated instrument represents an outstanding educational opportunity. These researchers will be extremely well prepared to tackle future DoD research challenges. Further, this instrument will also be used to unravel the mechanisms of near-field radiative heat transfer that are of great current interest. Taken together, the proposed instrument will significantly advance the state-of-the-art in experimental techniques for the study of near-field transport studies and near-field thermophotovoltaic device, and enable groundbreaking studies that are otherwise not possible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1610195
Entities
People
- Edgar Meyhofer
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Michigan