Paper
2 December 1985 Radiative Heat Pumps Using Narrow-Bandgap Semiconductors
Paul Berdahl
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
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 are 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 semiconduc-tors with direct bandgaps in the range of 0.03-0.3 eV for room temperature operation.
© (1985) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Paul Berdahl "Radiative Heat Pumps Using Narrow-Bandgap Semiconductors", Proc. SPIE 0562, Optical Materials Technology for Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy Conversion IV, (2 December 1985); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.966312
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KEYWORDS
Electrons

Infrared radiation

Semiconductors

Luminescence

Magnetism

Diffusion

Solid state electronics

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