Characterization of Near-Field Thermal Radiative Properties of Man-Made Materials

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Man-made materials that are engineered at the very small (nanometer) scale have been proposed for thermal radiation applications. The radiative properties of these materials have been studied theoretically using exact or approximate methods. However, these theoretical predictions have never been experimentally verified. The objective of this project is to experimentally demonstrate that novel thermal radiative properties can be achieved using man-made materials such as metamaterials, gratings, and photonic crystals. The ability to engineer thermal radiation will lead to technological breakthroughs in energy conversion and conservation, and will significantly accelerate the development of thermal radiation applications such as waste heat recovery using nano-gap thermophotovoltaic devices and thermal management at the nanoscale. This will benefit the society by reducing consumption of fossil fuels and thus conserving our limited energy resources and the environment.The objective of this project is to test the hypothesis that the spectrum of near-field thermal radiation can be tuned using man-made materials that are engineered at the sub-wavelength scale. This hypothesis will be tested by measuring the spectrum of near-field thermal emission from a variety of man-made structures. The measured spectra will be compared with theoretical predictions, and they will be used for validating and tuning the theoretical models. This research will contribute to the advancement of knowledge and technology in the field of nanoscale radiative heat transfer in several ways. It will be experimentally demonstrated that tunable near-field thermal radiation can be achieved using man-made materials. A robust technique will be established for measuring the spectrum of near-field thermal emission. This project will provide physical insight into the mechanisms of near-field thermal emission by man-made materials, and it will help to establish theoretical models that accelerate design and discovery of materials with novel radiative properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.