Research into the P-N Juntion Thermophotonic Effect

智能优点：本项目是研发一种新型的热光器件。其智力优势包括研究电荷控制量子阱中的热和电荷传输物理，并结合微腔物理实现余热吸收。长期以来，热光子学一直被认为是一种潜在的进步，可以实现接近100%的太阳能转换，因为它能够利用带隙以上吸收的余热。然而，器件结构不优化和内部效率问题限制了整体效率。这些问题通过高质量量子阱中的电荷控制和微腔物理来解决，以达到高提取效率。所提出的结构为克服过去在废热吸收效率方面的技术障碍提供了一条新的装置路线。更广泛的影响：该研究项目是性别多样化的，更广泛的影响包括提高女性在科学和工程领域的地位，以及热光子设备技术可能对社会产生的影响。可以高效吸收废热的装置可以在广泛的应用中使用，而热光器件非常适合这些应用，因为它们原则上即使在很小的温差也可以产生热吸收。除了高效率的光伏电池外，热光器件还可以应用于消费电子产品，如计算机、手机和各种传感器。热光器件可以通过减少因低效电子而产生的余热和温升，极大地提高这些电子产品的效率，延长其电池寿命和工作寿命。

Intellectual Merit:This project is to research and develop a new type of thermophotonic device. The intellectual merit includes studies in the physics of heat and charge transport in charge controlled quantum wells combined with microcavity physics to achieve waste heat absorption. Thermophotonics has long been proposed as a potential advance to achieve solar energy conversion of close to 100%, due to its ability to utilize waste heat from above band gap absorption. However, nonoptimized device structures and internal efficiency problems have limited the overall efficiency. These problems are addressed through charge control in high quality quantum wells, and microcavity physics to reach high extraction efficiency. The proposed structures provide a new device route to overcoming past technology hurdles in the efficiency of waste heat absorption. Broader Impact:The research project is gender diverse, and the broader impacts include the advancement of women in science and engineering, as well as the impact that thermophotonic device technologies can make on society. Devices that can produce high efficiency absorption of waste heat can be used in a wide range of applications, and thermophotonic devices are well suited for these since they can in principle produce heat absorption even for small temperature differences. Besides high efficiency photovoltaic cells, thermophotonic devices could find applications in consumer electronics such as computers, cell-phones, and various sensors. The thermophotonic devices can greatly increase the efficiency of these electronics and extend their battery lifetimes and operating lifetimes by reducing waste heat and temperature rises due to inefficient electronics.