A DIRECT THERMAL TO OPTICAL ENERGY CONVERTER

THIS PROJECT WILL CONDUCT CRYSTAL GROWTH RESEARCH ON A SINGLE CRYSTAL RARE EARTH OXIDE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE A CONVERTER OF THERMAL ENERGY TO A NARROW WAVELENGTH EMISSION IN THE NEAR INFRARED. THIS CRYSTAL IS EXPECTED TO BEHAVE AS A PHOTONIC BAND GAP (PBG) MATERIAL (A NEW CLASS OF MATERIALS). THE CONCEPT OF A PBG MATERIAL WAS FIRST EXPLICITLY DESCRIBED BY ELI YABLONOVITCH (PHYS. REV. LETT. 58, (1987) 2059-2062). IN PHASE I, MEASUREMENTS WILL BE MADE OF THE LIGHT EMISSION FROM THESE CRYSTALS WHEN THEY ARE HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH A PROPANE TORCH.