Presentation Details
| Controlling Thermal Radiation for Energy Conversion: From Thermophotovoltaics to Thermoradiative Devices Jeremy Munday. University of California, Davis, CA, USA |
Abstract
Recent advances in photovoltaics have highlighted the broader role of thermal radiation as both a loss mechanism and an opportunity for energy conversion. In this talk, I will discuss emerging approaches that extend conventional photovoltaic concepts into new regimes of photon–thermal energy exchange, with a focus on thermophotovoltaic (TPV) and thermoradiative (TR) devices. Thermophotovoltaics enable high-efficiency conversion of heat to electricity through spectral and angular control of thermal emission, while thermoradiative devices operate as the thermodynamic inverse of solar photovoltaics, generating power though the emission of photons to a colder environment rather than their absorption. Together, these platforms provide a unified framework for understanding energy conversion beyond the traditional solar-driven paradigm. I will present recent progress on selective emitters, narrowband optical filters, and device architectures that approach fundamental efficiency limits. In addition, I will discuss opportunities for coupling these concepts with radiative cooling and other photonic design strategies to enable new energy harvesting modalities, including nighttime power generation and hybrid solar–thermal systems. These results illustrate how controlling light–matter interactions across the solar and thermal spectrum can unlock new pathways for photovoltaic science and motivate future technologies rooted in fundamental conversion mechanisms.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.