Abstract:

Thermal radiation represents a ubiquitous aspect of nature. Any object at finite temperatures emits thermal radiation due to thermally induced motion of particles and quasiparticles. The sun at 6000 K and the cold universe at 3 K, which represent the most important renewable energy resource and the ultimate thermodynamic heat sink, are all accessible through thermal radiation.  The ability to control thermal radiation and absorption therefore plays a fundamentally important role in controlling radiative heat and energy transfer and associated applications, such as solar energy harvesting, radiative cooling and thermophotovoltaics.

In this talk, I will discuss how we can judiciously design and engineer thermal radiation and absorption properties for a wide range of thermal and energy applications, including generating and measuring highly localized thermal hot spot, enhancing hot carrier energy conversion efficiency, designing absorptivity/emissivity signature, as well as radiative cooling and thermal management techniques. 

Bio:

Dr. Wei Li is postdoctoral research associate working with Prof. Shanhui Fan at Edward L. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Thermal Energy and Power Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2011 and Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2016. His research interests mainly focus on thermal radiation control and associate energy applications such as solar energy harvesting, radiative cooling and thermophotovoltaics, as well as nanoscale heat and energy transfer processes. Over the past 5 years, he has published over 10 journal papers including 2 top 1% highly cited papers, receiving more than 500 citations. He is the recipient of Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, Dissertation Enhancement Grant Award from Vanderbilt, and best poster awards from several conferences. He is a reviewer of over 20 journals and a member of ASME, MRS and OSA.