SFB 986: Subproject C01- Multiscale photonic materials with adjustable absorption and thermal emission

Project C1 focuses on the description of the optical properties of metal-dielectric multiscale material systems. The new proposal will be dealing with both adjustment and tunability of the absorption and emission of such material systems, which are interesting as tunable structural color, smart windows or switchable thermal emitters. This will be done by adjustment of the structure design and by the tunability of the dielectric function of metals via surface modification, phase transformations and temperature.

In order to tailor efficient TPV-emitters which match specific photovoltaic receivers we realize spectrally selective emitters that show an emission close to that of a black body at short wavelengths, but substantially reduced emission at long wavelengths. We demonstrate such band-edge emitters based on a W-HfO2 refractory metamaterial in cooperation with C7 [1] and a monolayer of monodisperse ZrO2-spheres on a tungsten substrate in cooperation with C4 and C6 [2]. Both structures are stable up to 1000°C.

The study of near field emission concentrates on the thermal radiation in hyperbolic materials [3] and across nanometer vacuum gaps.

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