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的前沿，与等离子体激子一样。虽然理论上已经预测了负折射率材料的不寻常的透射率、反射率和发射率，但在设计和制造用于定制热辐射特性的超材料方面做得很少。提出了一种新型的超材料，它由一层周期光栅和一层不透明的金属薄膜通过介质隔离器耦合而成。通过实现抗磁响应，并通过将负磁导率材料与负介电常数材料耦合，这种结构可以定制发射和吸收特性。将发展严格的模型以及有效的介质理论来研究热辐射与所制作的纳米结构的相互作用。红外光谱和发射光谱将被用来验证理论预测。智力上的好处：这一变革性的研究将导致新的材料结构，并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法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本知识，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，该项目将增加妇女和少数族裔在工程学领域的机会。拟议中的纳米级能源运输课程将增强本科课程的质量。国际热能协会将举办会议和研讨会，为社会服务，并教育公众有关纳米级热能工程的知识。

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.