905 research outputs found
Opportunities for mesoscopics in thermometry and refrigeration: Physics and applications
This review presents an overview of the thermal properties of mesoscopic
structures. The discussion is based on the concept of electron energy
distribution, and, in particular, on controlling and probing it. The
temperature of an electron gas is determined by this distribution:
refrigeration is equivalent to narrowing it, and thermometry is probing its
convolution with a function characterizing the measuring device. Temperature
exists, strictly speaking, only in quasiequilibrium in which the distribution
follows the Fermi-Dirac form. Interesting nonequilibrium deviations can occur
due to slow relaxation rates of the electrons, e.g., among themselves or with
lattice phonons. Observation and applications of nonequilibrium phenomena are
also discussed. The focus in this paper is at low temperatures, primarily below
4 K, where physical phenomena on mesoscopic scales and hybrid combinations of
various types of materials, e.g., superconductors, normal metals, insulators,
and doped semiconductors, open up a rich variety of device concepts. This
review starts with an introduction to theoretical concepts and experimental
results on thermal properties of mesoscopic structures. Then thermometry and
refrigeration are examined with an emphasis on experiments. An immediate
application of solid-state refrigeration and thermometry is in ultrasensitive
radiation detection, which is discussed in depth. This review concludes with a
summary of pertinent fabrication methods of presented devices.Comment: Close to the version published in RMP; 59 pages, 35 figure
Efficiency in nanostructured thermionic and thermoelectric devices
Advances in solid-state device design now allow the spectrum of transmitted
electrons in thermionic and thermoelectric devices to be engineered in ways
that were not previously possible. Here we show that the shape of the electron
energy spectrum in these devices has a significant impact on their performance.
We distinguish between traditional thermionic devices where electron momentum
is filtered in the direction of transport only and a second type, in which the
electron filtering occurs according to total electron momentum. Such 'total
momentum filtered' kr thermionic devices could potentially be implemented in,
for example, quantum dot superlattices. It is shown that whilst total momentum
filtered thermionic devices may achieve efficiency equal to the Carnot value,
traditional thermionic devices are limited to efficiency below this. Our second
main result is that the electronic efficiency of a device is not only improved
by reducing the width of the transmission filter as has previously been shown,
but also strongly depends on whether the transmission probability rises sharply
from zero to full transmission. The benefit of increasing efficiency through a
sharply rising transmission probability is that it can be achieved without
sacrificing device power, in contrast to the use of a narrow transmission
filter which can greatly reduce power. We show that devices which have a
sharply-rising transmission probability significantly outperform those which do
not and it is shown such transmission probabilities may be achieved with
practical single and multibarrier devices. Finally, we comment on the
implications of the effect the shape of the electron energy spectrum on the
efficiency of thermoelectric devices.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figure
SiGeC/Si superlattice microcoolers
Monolithically integrated active cooling is an attractive way for thermal management and temperature stabilization of microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. SiGeC can be lattice matched to Si and is a promising material for integrated coolers. SiGeC/Si superlattice structures were grown on Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Thermal conductivity was measured by the 3omega method. SiGeC/Si superlattice microcoolers with dimensions as small as 40×40 µm^2 were fabricated and characterized. Cooling by as much as 2.8 and 6.9 K was measured at 25 °C and 100 °C, respectively, corresponding to maximum spot cooling power densities on the order of 1000 W/cm^2
Bulk Nanocrystalline Thermoelectrics Based on Bi-Sb-Te Solid Solution
A nanopowder from p-Bi-Sb-Te with particles ~ 10 nm were fabricated by the
ball milling using different technological modes. Cold and hot pressing at
different conditions and also SPS process were used for consolidation of the
powder into a bulk nanostructure and nanocomposites. The main factors allowing
slowing-down of the growth of nanograins as a result of recrystallization are
the reduction of the temperature and of the duration of the pressing, the
increase of the pressure, as well as addition of small value additives (like
MoS2, thermally expanded graphite or fullerenes). It was reached the
thermoelectric figure of merit ZT=1.22 (at 360 K) in the bulk nanostructure
Bi0,4Sb1,6Te3 fabricated by SPS method. Some mechanisms of the improvement of
the thermoelectric efficiency in bulk nanocrystalline semiconductors based on
BixSb2-xTe3 are studied theoretically. The reduction of nanograin size can lead
to improvement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. The theoretical
dependence of the electric and heat conductivities and the thermoelectric power
as the function of nanograins size in BixSb2-xTe3 bulk nanostructure are quite
accurately correlates with the experimental data.Comment: 35 pages, 24 figures, 4 tables, 52 reference
Thermionic-enhanced near-field thermophotovoltaics
Solid-state heat-to-electrical power converters are thermodynamic engines
that use fundamental particles, such as electrons or photons, as working
fluids. Virtually all commercially available devices are thermoelectric
generators, in which electrons flow through a solid driven by a temperature
difference. Thermophotovoltaics and thermionics are highly efficient
alternatives relying on the direct emission of photons and electrons. However,
the low energy flux carried by the emitted particles significantly limits their
generated electrical power density potential. Creating nanoscale vacuum gaps
between the emitter and the receiver in thermionic and thermophotovoltaic
devices enables a significant enhancement of the electron and photon energy
fluxes, respectively, which in turn results in an increase of the generated
electrical power density. Here we propose a thermionic-enhanced near-field
thermophotovoltaic device that exploits the simultaneous emission of photons
and electrons through nanoscale vacuum gaps. We present the theoretical
analysis of a device in which photons and electrons travel from a hot
LaB6-coated tungsten emitter to a closely spaced BaF2-coated InGaAs
photovoltaic cell. Photon tunnelling and space charge removal across the
nanoscale vacuum gap produce a drastic increase in flux of electrons and
photons, and subsequently, of the generated electrical power density. We show
that conversion efficiencies and electrical power densities of 30% and 70W/cm2
are achievable at 2000K for a practicable gap distance of 100nm, and thus
greatly enhance the performances of stand-alone near-field thermophotovoltaic
devices (10% and 10W/cm2). A key practical advantage of this nanoscale energy
conversion device is the use of grid-less cell designs, eliminating the issue
of series resistance and shadowing losses, which are unavoidable in
conventional near-field thermophotovoltaic devices.Comment: Nano Energy (2019
Evaporative electron cooling in asymmetric double barrier semiconductor heterostructures
International audienceRapid progress in high-speed, densely packed electronic/photonic devices has brought unprecedented benefits to our society. However, this technology trend has in reverse led to a tremendous increase in heat dissipation, which degrades device performance and lifetimes. The scientific and technological challenge henceforth lies in efficient cooling of such high-performance devices. Here, we report on evaporative electron cooling in asymmetric Aluminum Gallium Arsenide/Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs/GaAs) double barrier heterostructures. Electron temperature, T e , in the quantum well (QW) and that in the electrodes are determined from photoluminescence measurements. At 300 K, T e in the QW is gradually decreased down to 250 K as the bias voltage is increased up to the maximum resonant tunneling condition, whereas T e in the electrode remains unchanged. This behavior is explained in term of the evaporative cooling process and is quantitatively described by the quantum transport theory
Influence of Dimensionality on Thermoelectric Device Performance
The role of dimensionality on the electronic performance of thermoelectric
devices is clarified using the Landauer formalism, which shows that the
thermoelectric coefficients are related to the transmission, T(E), and how the
conducing channels, M(E), are distributed in energy. The Landauer formalism
applies from the ballistic to diffusive limits and provides a clear way to
compare performance in different dimensions. It also provides a physical
interpretation of the "transport distribution," a quantity that arises in the
Boltzmann transport equation approach. Quantitative comparison of
thermoelectric coefficients in one, two, and three dimension shows that the
channels may be utilized more effectively in lower-dimensions. To realize the
advantage of lower dimensionality, however, the packing density must be very
high, so the thicknesses of the quantum wells or wires must be small. The
potential benefits of engineering M(E) into a delta-function are also
investigated. When compared to a bulk semiconductor, we find the potential for
~50 % improvement in performance. The shape of M(E) improves as dimensionality
decreases, but lower dimensionality itself does not guarantee better
performance because it is controlled by both the shape and the magnitude of
M(E). The benefits of engineering the shape of M(E) appear to be modest, but
approaches to increase the magnitude of M(E) could pay large dividends.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure
Simulation of refrigeration by electron emission across nanometer-scale gaps
Nanoscale transport processes offer new possibilities for direct refrigeration by electron emission at room temperature. Because the energy of emitted electrons may be higher or lower than that of their replacement counterparts, a heating or cooling effect, known as the Nottingham effect, can occur at the emitter. Prior theoretical studies indicate the possibility of very large (\u3e100 W/cm(2)) cooling rates for emitters with low work functions; however, ultrasmall emission gaps are necessary to produce a device with a reasonably high coefficient of performance. In this regime of low work function and narrow emission gap, the traditional approach used to model electron transmission, which is based on the WKB approximation, is not suitable. In this study, a nonequilibrium Green\u27s function method is employed to simulate the energy exchange attending electron emission for a range of emitter work functions and vacuum gap distances, yielding important insights into the thermodynamics associated with electron emission across ultrasmall vacuum gaps. Cooling density and efficiency curves depending on the vacuum gap distance and applied electric field are presented for flat-plate electrodes with work functions ranging from 0.4 to 1.7 eV, and the results indicate that a practical emission device will require that the electrode work function and vacuum gap separation be reduced to approximately 0.4 eV and 20 nm, respectively
Space power systems technology enablement study
The power system technologies which enable or enhance future space missions requiring a few kilowatts or less and using the space shuttle were assessed. The advances in space power systems necessary for supporting the capabilities of the space transportation system were systematically determined and benefit/cost/risk analyses were used to identify high payoff technologies and technological priorities. The missions that are enhanced by each development are discussed
Thermoelectric transport perpendicular to thin film heterostructures using Monte Carlo technique
The Monte Carlo technique is used to calculate electrical as well as
thermoelectric transport properties across thin film heterostructures. We study
a thin InGaAsP barrier layer sandwiched between two InGaAs contact layers, when
the barrier thickness is in 50nm-2000nm range. We found that with decreasing
size, the effective Seebeck coefficient is increased substantially. The
transition between pure ballistic thermionic transport and fully diffusive
thermoelectric transport is also described
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