Spectral selectivity from resonant-coupling in microgap-TPV

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how near-field and resonant coupling in microgap thermophotovoltaic systems can significantly enhance energy transfer, enabling efficient thermal conversion at lower emitter temperatures through computational modeling of optimized structures and materials.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed computational model showing the potential of resonant near-field coupling in microgap-TPV systems for improved thermal energy transfer.

Findings

Enhanced radiation transfer at ~100nm gaps due to resonance.

Materials and structures can overcome natural limitations for lower-temperature thermal conversion.

Computational results suggest feasibility of practical microgap-TPV devices.

Abstract

Near-field energy coupling between two surfaces may arise from frustrated total-internal-reflectance and from atomic dipole-dipole interaction. Such an exchange of energy, if at resonance, greatly enhances the radiation transfer between an emitter and a photovoltaic converter. Computational modeling of selected, but realizable, emitter and detector structures and materials shows the benefits of both near-field and resonance coupling (e.g., with ~ 100nm gaps). In one sense, this is almost an engineering paper. A strong computational model (based on physically-proven concepts and incorporating known and predicted high-temperature properties of acceptable emitter materials) is used to demonstrate the potential of materials (properly-selected to overcome natural limitations) and of structures (carefully crafted to push the limits of present technology) for breaking barriers of thermal conversion at lower-emitter temperatures (< 1000C).