With funding from Notre Dame Nanoscience and Technology (NDnano) and Notre Dame Energy, a team of researchers will pursue a frontier in strategic energy. Masaru K. Kuno, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has received an NDnano Momentum Research Grant to advance semiconductor optical refrigeration: the use of laser light to remove heat from solid materials. Kuno aims to conduct the first verifiable demonstration of semiconductor optical refrigeration.
“This groundbreaking approach can shift ‘cooling by light’ technology from a theoretical possibility into a proven reality,” said Steven Koester, director of NDnano and the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Microelectronics in the Department of Electrical Engineering. “Since the novel concept of semiconductor optical refrigeration was first proposed almost a century ago, researchers have attempted to bring it to life. Through support of research teams like this one, NDnano and ND Energy are helping position Notre Dame researchers to address unsolved scientific questions for the greater good.”
Kuno and collaborators aim to develop a compact, reliable light-based cooling technology with potential applications in imaging, consumer electronics, industrial environments, and more. A form of solid-state cooling—cooling made possible through solids and applied forces, rather than refrigerants—this work can enable a range of new innovations.
For instance, the cooling platform can be applied in “silent” cooling systems for ultra-sensitive space-based sensors, telescopes, and satellites where mechanical vibrations from fans or pumps could interfere with data collection. This technology can also offer a water-free alternative for thermal management in modern data centers, which consume large amounts of energy and water for cooling. With many imaging and sensing devices needing extremely cold temperatures to function optimally, reliable cooling supports accurate, precise performance.
“The anticipated outcomes of this project are key for strategic energy, aiming not only for a paradigm shift in technology, but also for meaningful impact on the environment,” said Joule Bergerson, director of Notre Dame Energy and the Richard and Ellen Stanley Professor of Energy Systems Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “Notre Dame Energy is proud to co-sponsor this work, which brings new solutions to the present and future of sustainable energy.”
To reach this milestone in semiconductor optical refrigeration, Kuno—also a concurrent professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy—will work with Boldizsar Janko, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and concurrent professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Notre Dame; Sushrut Ghonge, assistant professor of physics at Saint Mary’s College; Peter Pauzauskie, associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Washington; and Denis Seletskiy and Alex Albrecht, associate and associate research professors, respectively, of physics and astronomy at the University of New Mexico. The NDnano Momentum Grant provides support for the team to close technical gaps, prove key concepts, and strengthen collaboration.
“Working together toward shared impact means opening doors for researchers to do the same,” Koester said. “By jointly supporting pathways to discovery, NDnano and Notre Dame Energy can accelerate progress and partnerships across our fields.”
To unlock the full potential of semiconductor optical refrigeration, one material in particular may hold key answers. The team hopes to validate that perovskite nanocrystals are a viable material for solid-state cooling. Unlike other substances that trap heat when their imperfections are struck with laser light, perovskite nanocrystals can maintain continual cooling amid defects. Kuno and collaborators have also previously identified perovskite nanocrystals as having a high emission quantum yield, meaning that nearly all light that enters is released, rather than wasted or turned into heat.
“Material impurities and thermodynamic hurdles have long challenged the research community in the quest for semiconductor optical refrigeration,” said Kuno, an affiliated faculty member at NDnano, Notre Dame Energy, and Materials Science and Engineering. “Our approach builds on existing knowledge to establish a novel and efficient solution. By leveraging the unique properties of perovskite nanocrystals, we aim to demonstrate practical solid state optical refrigeration.”
To learn more about outcomes supported by the Momentum Research Grant, please visit NDnano’s website.
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The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please visit NDR's website or NDR's LinkedIn.