Understanding Transport Processes on the Nanoscale for Energy Harvesting Devices

Energy harvesting devices are required for applications in the Internet-of-Things, autarkic sensors, or highly integrated electronic devices. With ever advancing number of autonomous electronic components the demand for delocalized supply of small amounts of electric energy increases. It is therefore an emerging topic in science and research to design, advance and tailor energy harvesting devices making use of a variety of energy sources and harvesting concepts. A deep understanding of energy transfer and transport processes forms the basis of this development. The relevant lengths scales of many of those energy transfer and transport processes is in the order of only a few nanometers, and today's nanotechnology therefore enabled the improvement of conversion efficiency, power output and reliability of many energy harvesting devices. This seminar will therefore address both, fundamental understanding of energy transfer and transport processes on the nanoscale, as well as different energy harvesting concepts that make use of these energy transfer and transport processes. Topics include fundamental studies, materials design and device design for the optimization of energy harvesting employing the thermoelectric, thermoionic, thermophotovoltaic, piezoelectric, electrochemical and pyroelectric effect.

The seminar is dedicated to a specialized public among which there are around 15 invited speakers, as well as poster presentations. Emphasis is set on giving young investigators at the PhD or PostDoc level the opportunity to participate.

The conference language will be English.