Berlin 2024 – scientific programme

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PLV: Plenarvorträge

PLV IX

PLV IX: Plenary Talk

Thursday, March 21, 2024, 14:00–14:45, H 0105

Non-reciprocal thermal radiation and ultimate solar energy harvesting — •Shanhui Fan — Stanford University

The Kirchhoff's law, which states that the angular spectral emissivity and absorptivity must be equal, features prominently in standard textbooks on thermal radiation. It is important, however, to recognize that the Kirchhoff's law is not a requirement of the second law of thermodynamics, but rather arises simply because most objects we study are made of reciprocal materials. In this talk, we discuss non-reciprocal nanophotonic structures that are capable of maximally violate the Kirchhoff's law. We also show that such non-reciprocal structures may hold the key towards reaching the Landsberg limit, which is the ultimate efficiency limit as required by the second law, in solar energy harvesting.

Keywords: Nonreciprocity; Thermodynamics; Nanophotonics; Solar energy