Photonic Refrigeration from Time-Modulated Thermal Emission
Siddharth Buddhiraju, Wei Li, Shanhui Fan
Abstract
We develop theoretical and computational formalisms to describe thermal radiation from temporally modulated systems. We show that such a modulation results in a photon-based active cooling mechanism. This mechanism has a high thermodynamic performance that can approach the Carnot limit. Our work points to exciting new avenues in active, time-modulated control of thermal emission for cooling and energy harvesting applications.
Topics & Concepts
Carnot cycleRefrigerationThermalWork (physics)Thermal radiationLimit (mathematics)PhotonicsRotation formalisms in three dimensionsPhysicsPhotonMechanism (biology)Thermodynamic limitThermodynamicsOpticsQuantum mechanicsMathematicsMathematical analysisGeometryThermal Radiation and Cooling TechnologiesOptical properties and cooling technologies in crystalline materialsQuantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect