Investigation of Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Controlling Thermal Emission and Absorption

超材料的研究已经成为光学和光子学的一个新前沿，与等离子体子学一样。虽然理论已经预测了负折射率材料的不寻常的传输、反射和发射，但在设计和制造用于调整热辐射特性的超材料方面做得很少。提出了一种由一层周期光栅和一层不透明金属膜通过介电间隔层耦合而成的新型超材料。通过实现抗磁响应，并通过耦合负磁导率材料和负介电常数材料，该结构可以定制发射和吸收特性。为了研究热辐射与纳米结构的相互作用，将建立严格的模型和有效的介质理论。红外光谱法和发射光谱法将用于验证理论预测。智力优势：这一变革性的研究将导致新的材料结构和更好地理解电磁波与复杂材料的相互作用。此外，该项目将提供一种前所未有的方式来设计热光伏系统的辐射发射器和红外辐射探测器的吸收器。更广泛的影响：参与这个多学科项目的学生将获得电磁波和热辐射的基础知识，以及微/纳米制造和光谱实验的经验。通过鼓励代表性不足的学生参与研究，该项目将增加女性和少数族裔在工程领域的机会。本科课程将被提议的纳米尺度能量传输课程所加强。PI将组织会议和举办研讨会，为社区服务，并教育公众有关纳米尺度热工程的知识。

CBET-0828701ZhangThe study of metamaterials has emerged as a new frontier in optics and photonics, along with plasmonics. While theory has predicted unusual transmission, reflection, and emission with negative index materials, little has been done on the design and fabrication of metamaterials for tailoring thermal radiative properties. A new type of metamaterial is proposed that consists of a layer of periodic grating coupled with an opaque metallic film via a dielectric spacer. By realizing diamagnetic response and by coupling a negative permeability material with a negative permittivity material, this structure can tailor the emission and absorption properties. Rigorous modeling as well as an effective medium theory will be developed to study the interaction of thermal radiation with the fabricated nanostructures. Infrared spectrometry and emissometry will be employed to verify the theoretical predictions.Intellectual Merit: This transformative research will result in novel material structures and a better understanding of the electromagnetic wave interaction with complex materials. Moreover, this project will provide an unprecedented way of designing radiation emitters for thermophotovoltaic systems and absorbers for infrared radiation detectors. Broader Impacts: Students involved in this multidisciplinary project will gain fundamental knowledge of electromagnetic wave and thermal radiation, as well as experience in micro/nanofabrication and spectroscopic experiments. By encouraging underrepresented students to participate in research, this project will increase the opportunity for women and minorities in engineering. Undergraduate curriculum will be enhanced by the proposed Nanoscale Energy Transport course. The PI will organize conferences and give seminars to serve the community as well as to educate the public about nanoscale thermal engineering.