BREAKING KIRCHHOFF'S LAW OF THERMAL RADIATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN ENERGY APPLICATIONS

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 13:09:32 -0500

Dr. Bo Zhao, Kalsi assistant professor, department of mechanical engineering, at the University of Houston, will be visiting UMBC this Friday to give a seminar titled "Breaking Kirchhoff's Law of Thermal Radiation and Its Implications in Energy Applications." Please see abstract and Dr. Zhao's biography below.

Abstract:

Objects around us constantly emit and absorb thermal radiation. The basic properties that characterize these two processes are emissivity and absorptivity, respectively. For reciprocal systems, the emissivity and absorptivity for a given direction, polarization, and frequency are tightly restricted to be equal by Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation. This restriction limits the control of thermal radiation and contributes to an intrinsic loss mechanism in photonic energy harvesting systems. In this talk, Dr. Zhao will discuss how one can break Kirchhoff's law by introducing nonreciprocity and the implications of this effort in solar energy harvesting.

Biography:

Dr. Bo Zhao joined the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston as an assistant professor in 2021. He received his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2016 and was a postdoctoral research associate at Stanford University before joining the University of Houston. His research interests are thermal radiation and photonics and their applications in advanced energy systems. Several of his works have been recognized as highly-cited, cover, or featured articles. He received the best poster award at the 2013 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition and was the recipient for the Viskanta Young Scientist Award on Radiation Transfer in 2023.

Light refreshments will be provided.

We hope to see you there!