Strong Heat Localization in Nanomaterials for Vacuum Nanoelectronics

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The proposed research program aims to elucidate the physics of the “Heat Trap” effect which was discovered in my laboratory and establish it as a foundational technology for multiple promising applications in renewable energy conversion and electronics. The remarkable feature of this phenomenon is that heat remains very strongly localized in certain nanostructured conductors, enabling new paradigms for creating powerful new thermionic and thermoelectric (T/T) devices. Heat Trap potentially solves the fundamental challenge of T/T conversion: minimizing heat flow while allowing electrons to flow freely. Overcoming this challenge will enhance the performance and reduce the cost of T/T devices, enabling them to expand beyond niche applications and play a central role in large-scale electricity generation. This groundbreaking work has rapidly propelled my research group to the forefront of the renascent field of thermionics. It has led to 18 invited talks at prestigious international academic and industrial venues as well as collaborations with the Max Planck Institute, Stanford University and the National Research Council, with more being planned. I was recently invited as one of around 15 participants in NASA's Thermionics workshop to set the stage for the future of the field, and led one of the sessions, and was selected as Chair of the 29th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference. The proposed research program consists of a systematic investigation to unravel the physical mechanisms involved in the Heat Trap effect. This understanding is required in order to be able to exploit this effect for applications, which fit into five broad categories: 1) Thermionic/thermoelectric converters for cost-effective harvesting of waste heat and sunlight; 2) Compact and extremely inexpensive electron microscopes to make very-high-resolution imaging broadly accessible to the general public; 3) Micro vacuum tubes for ultra-high-speed electronics; 4) Broadband radiation detectors for imaging and sensing; 5) Future phononic circuits that exploit waste heat for information processing. We are pursuing several of these applications with separate, targeted sources of funding and in collaboration with industrial partners. The proposed Discovery Grant program aims to answer fundamental questions that all of these applications depend on, and create a foundation to enable their successful and rapid progress. The program will lead to significant socio-economic and environmental benefits for Canada, associated with advanced technologies and clean energy. The program will also provide an ideal environment to attract, train, inspire, and retain a growing network of young scientists and engineers seeking to understand and exploit the revolutionary properties of nanomaterials.