Dr. Jeffrey Chou
Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Micro & Nanosystems Laboratory
BSAC PhD 2012
May 6, 2014 | 12:30 to 01:30 | 540 Cory Hall
Host: Ming Wu
The intermittency of solar energy conversion via photovoltaics presents a major obstacle to their extensive penetration into the grid. Thus, despite major advances in solar cell efficiency, the path to fully integrated solar energy remains incomplete without solar energy storage solutions. In this talk, our recent work on the development of solar-thermophotovoltaic (STPV) systems presents a promising route for full-spectrum solar energy conversion and storage. Our recently developed 2D metallic dielectric photonic crystal (MDPhC) allows for the full solar energy spectrum to be efficiently converted into heat. Our experimentally verified MDPhC exhibits solar broadband, omnidirectional, selective absorption, high temperature stability (1000°C), and is fabricated on the wafer scale for massive scalability. The broadband absorption is due a combination of an anti-reflection coating (ARC) with a high density of optical states in the MDPhC. Future directions and applications of the MDPhC will also be briefly discussed, such as hot-electron generation and water splitting. The work summarized in this talk is part of the Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S³TEC) at MIT.
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