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Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Characterization of Plasmonic Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
Published on: July 8, 2013
15.2K
High-temperature differences in plasmonic broadband absorber on PET and Si substrates
Jin Hee Kim1,2,3, Sung-Gyu Lee2,3, Teun-Teun Kim2
1Department of Applied Physics, Institute of Natural Science, Kyung Hee University, Yong-in, Gyeong-gi, 17104, Republic of Korea.
Scientific Reports
|August 9, 2020
Summary
Substrate thermal conductivity significantly impacts photothermal conversion efficiency. Lower thermal conductivity substrates like PET enhance temperature differences in plasmonic absorbers compared to silicon, enabling high-performance photothermoelectric devices.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics and Nanophotonics
- Materials Science
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Plasmonic resonators, with metal-dielectric-metal structures, are crucial for applications like broadband absorbers.
- Broadband absorbers are key components in thermophotovoltaics and thermoelectrics, requiring significant temperature differences for efficiency.
- Optimizing temperature difference in absorbers necessitates careful consideration of substrate thermal properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of substrate material on the photothermal conversion efficiency of Cr/SiO2/Cr plasmonic absorbers.
- To demonstrate the role of thermal conductance in achieving higher temperature differences for enhanced device performance.
- To explore the potential of these structures in photothermoelectric applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Cr/SiO2/Cr plasmonic absorbers on different substrates (polyethylene terephthalate - PET and silicon).
- Optical characterization to confirm similar optical properties across different substrates.
- Photothermal measurements under laser illumination to quantify temperature differences and thermal relaxation times.
Main Results:
- Absorbers on PET substrates exhibited a significantly higher temperature difference (164 K) compared to those on silicon substrates (3.7 K).
- Optical properties remained largely unchanged, indicating the effect is primarily due to thermal properties.
- Thermal conductance of the substrate was confirmed as the critical factor influencing temperature difference.
- A Seebeck coefficient of 9.8 μV/K was achieved using graphene on the absorber in a photothermoelectric setup.
Conclusions:
- Substrate selection is critical for maximizing photothermal conversion efficiency in plasmonic absorbers.
- Low thermal conductivity substrates like PET are advantageous for generating larger temperature gradients.
- The Cr/SiO2/Cr structure shows promise for developing high-performance photothermoelectric devices.
