|
Biography:
In my research I'm studying diamond and nanostructured carbon
with a focus on electron emission properties. One of the main
characteristics of diamond, that makes it so interesting for electron emission
is its ability to gain a negative electron affinity (NEA) surface. This
means the vacuum level is located below the conduction band minimum.
Nanostructured carbon like carbon nanotubes (CNT's) and nanocrystalline diamond
exhibit a very high field enhancement at local sites which makes it easy
for electrons to tunnel into vacuum.
Currently, my research is targeted towards thermionic energy conversion
utilizing these material systems. Thermionic energy conversion is a process
where heat is converted into electricity. This direct energy conversion process
by means of vacuum thermionic emission provides the basis for power systems that
work efficiently without any moving parts, thus increasing lifetime and
reliability.
So far, thermionic energy generators are used to power space crafts.
Operating at high temperatures and using radioactive materials, these devices
are not well suited for terrestrial applications, especially as a power source
for mobile devices. Doped diamond and nanostructured carbon could be a promising
new material system that would allow a significant drop in the operating
temperature of thermionic energy converters.
|
