Three-dimensional photonic-crystal emitter for thermal photovoltaic power generation

A three-dimensional tungsten photonic crystal is experimentally realized with a complete photonic band gap at wavelengths λ⩾3 μm. At an effective temperature of 〈T〉∼1535 K, the photonic crystal exhibits a sharp emission at λ∼1.5 μm and is promising for thermal photovoltaic (TPV) power generation. Based on the spectral radiance, a proper length scaling and a planar TPV model calculation, an optical-to-electric conversion efficiency of ∼34% and electrical power of ∼14 W/cm2 is theoretically possible.