CAREER: Understanding Nanoscale Radiative Transport in Multi-Body Systems

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Thermal management of nanodevices requires a solid understanding of radiative heat transfer in reduced dimensions. To date, experiments involving radiative heat transfer have been limited by a focus on two-body systems. This CAREER program will explore the potential of systems containing more than two objects (i.e., multi-body systems) to lead to new physical and transport behaviors and, as a result, enable new applications in domains of national importance such as aerospace electronics, energy conversion technology, and information processing. To create these new technologies, it is essential to experimentally study and understand nanoscale radiative heat transfer between multiple objects and explore its use for improving heat exchange and thermal control. Thus, a primary outcome of this research will be a novel technique that enables the study of nanoscale radiative heat transfer among multiple objects. In addition to providing the fundamental knowledge necessary to advance thermal control at the nanoscale, this program will implement an innovative educational platform that promotes practical workforce development in academia by bridging the gap between academic work and industrial problems and stimulates curiosity among K-12 students in exploring engineering careers. This CAREER program will apply the physics of radiative transport in multi-bodies to solve thermal control problems in nanodevices. Specifically, this research will experimentally uncover the governing physics that drive electromagnetic waves-matter interactions in multi-body systems to identify the contributing factors in near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT). This work will provide new knowledge critical to the development of next-generation nanodevices by: (1) understanding the effect of structural factors on NFRHT in multi-bodies and (2) elucidating the role of multi-body physics in NFRHT for active thermal management. Significant structural and material factors in the spatial confinement of evanescent photons between multi-bodies will be identified through precision heat transfer measurements. Findings will provide in-depth understanding on how multiple interactive objects within micro/nano-dimensions impact radiative transport mechanisms—knowledge that will have far-reaching implications for advancing the thermal management of state-of-the-art high-power systems in industrial and technological applications. This research is integrated with education objectives to: (1) create an Academic-Industry Bridge (AIB) initiative for undergraduate and graduate students and (2) extend the AIB initiative to include an interactive platform for hands-on research projects for K- 12 students. Collaborations with Navajo Technical University and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will ensure engagement with diverse audiences.This project is jointly funded by the Thermal Transport Processes Program in the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBE) Division of the Engineering Directorate, and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.