Incandescent light bulbs at the nanoscale

Using tiny arrays of carbon nanotubes, a team of researchers at Rice University has designed nanoscale incandescent light source that could be tuned to precisely emit at specific wavelength, based on the materials’ configuration.

The so-called nanoscale thermal emitters described in a paper titled “Non?Hermitian Selective Thermal Emitters using Metal–Semiconductor Hybrid Resonators” published in the journal of Advanced Materials combine several known phenomena into a unique system that turns heat into light.

According to the research, the system is highly configurable to deliver light with specific properties and at the desired wavelength. The research is a follow up on a recent technique developed by the lab, using carbon nanotubes to channel heat from mid-infrared radiation to improve the efficiency of solar energy systems.

Here, the unique design configuration turns heat into light, and is highly configurable.

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