Related papers: Reaching optimal efficiencies using nano-sized pho…
If the work per cycle of a quantum heat engine is averaged over an appropriate prior distribution for an external parameter $a$, the work becomes optimal at Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency. More general priors of the form $\Pi(a) \propto…
Ever science the invention of solar cells, thermodynamics has been used to assess their performance limits, guiding advances in materials science and photovoltaic technology to reduce the gap between the practical efficiencies and the…
The recently reported 3rd and 4th biological transparency windows located respectively at 1.6-1.9um and 2.1-2.3um promise deeper tissue penetration and reduced collateral photodamage, yet they haven't been utilized in photothermal therapy…
Physical mechanisms of electron emission from fibre optic nanotips, namely, tunnelling, multi-photon, and thermionic emission, either prevent fast switching or require intense laser fields. Time-resolved electron emission from nano-sized…
Photonic innovation is becoming ever more important in the modern world. Optical systems are dominating shorter and shorter communications distances, LED's are rapidly emerging for a variety of applications, and solar cells show potential…
Solar cell designs based on disordered nanostructures tend to have higher efficiencies than structures with uniform absorbers, though the reason is poorly understood. To resolve this, we use a semi-analytic approach to determine the…
With the continuous advancement of nanotechnology, nanodevices have become crucial components in computing, sensing and energy conversion applications. However, the structures of nanodevices typically possess sub-wavelength dimensions and…
According to Thermodynamics, the efficiency of a heat engine is upper bounded by Carnot efficiency. For macroscopic systems, the Carnot efficiency is, however, achieved only for quasi static processes. And, considerable attention has been…
Recent advances in photonic optimization have enabled calculation of performance bounds for a wide range of electromagnetic objectives, albeit restricted to single-material systems. Motivated by growing theoretical interest and fabrication…
Progress in electron-beam spectroscopies has recently enabled the study of optical excitations with combined space, energy and time resolution in the nanometer, millielectronvolt and femtosecond domain, thus providing unique access into…
Designing objects with predefined optical properties is a task of fundamental importance for nanophotonics, and chirality is a prototypical example of such a property, with applications ranging from photochemistry to nonlinear photonics. A…
We investigate and evaluate the contribution of the ultraviolet radiation spectrum on the temperature and efficiency of commercial crystalline silicon-based photovoltaics (PVs) that operate outdoors. The investigation is performed by…
Conventional thermionic power generators and refrigerators utilize a barrier in the direction of transport to selectively transmit high-energy electrons. Here we show that the energy spectrum of electrons transmitted in this way is not…
We report on the fabrication of two-dimensional periodic photonic nanostructures by nanoimprint lithography and dry etching, and their integration into a 1-{\mu}m-thin mono-crystalline silicon solar cell. Thanks to the periodic…
Nanoscale photothermal sources find important applications in theranostics, imaging, and catalysis. In this context, graphene offers a unique suite of optical, electrical, and thermal properties, which we exploit to show self-consistent…
The emerging field of free-electron quantum optics enables electron-photon entanglement and holds the potential for generating nontrivial photon states for quantum information processing. Although recent experimental studies have entered…
In recent years, quantum nanophotonics has forged a rich nexus of nanotechnology with photonic quantum information processing, offering remarkable prospects for advancing quantum technologies beyond their current technical limits in terms…
Nanowire arrays exhibit efficient light coupling and strong light trapping, making them well suited to solar cell applications. The processes that contribute to their absorption are interrelated and highly dispersive, so the only current…
Although photoelectrochemical water splitting is likely to be an important and powerful tool to provide environmentally friendly hydrogen, most developments in this field have been conducted on a laboratory scale so far. In order for the…
Improving phosphor photoluminescence efficiency is a key parameter to boost the performances of many optical devices. In this work, colloidal silver nanocubes, homogeneously spread on a luminescent surface, have proved to help both…