Radiative heat pumps using narrow-bandgap semiconductors
The Solid State Radiative Heat Pump (SSRHP) concept is introduced. It offers the potential to pump infrared radiation - for heating and cooling - with high second law efficiency. In particular, some of the limitations of Peltier-effect heat pumps can be circumvented. Two approaches for constructing SSRHP devices will be described. In one approach the device is a large-area p-n junction, similar to an ir (light) emitting diode. In the second approach one uses orthogonal electric and magnetic fields to alter equilibrium carrier concentrations of electrons and holes near the crystal surface, altering the ir emission due to electron-hole recombination radiation. This phenomenon is usually termed galvanomagnetic luminescence (GML). Either approach can be used to make radiative heat pumps. Materials suitable for SSRHP devices are narrow-bandgap semiconductors with direct bandgaps in the range of 0.03 to 0.3 eV for room temperature operatin. Obvious candidates are InSb, Hg/sub 1-x/Cd/sub x/Te, and Pb/sub 1-x/Sn/sub x/Te. As a first step in the evaluation of InSb, our laboratory has made absolute spectral measurements of its galvanomagnetic luminescence. These and related measurements in Russia and Japan are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 5387375
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-19174; CONF-850887-34; ON: DE85017654
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SPIE international technical symposium on optical and electro-optical engineers, San Diego, CA, USA, 18 Aug 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
15%-efficiency (Mg,Zn)CdTe solar cells with 1.7 eV bandgap for tandem applications
Electronic and chemical structure of an organic light emitter embedded in an inorganic wide-bandgap semiconductor: Photoelectron spectroscopy of layered and composite structures of Ir(BPA) and ZnSe