Chapter 8
Controlling Thermal Radiation
with Surface Waves
Philippe Ben-Abdallah, François Marquier and Jean-Jacques Greffet
Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to show that surface waves can be used to
tailor radiative heat transfer. The first part of the chapter deals with the modification of
radiative properties of surfaces. By taking advantage of surface waves, it is possible to
design both the angular and the spectral characteristics of the emissivity/absorptivity.
This paves the way to the design of smart incandescent IR sources with unprecedented
properties. The second part of the chapter deals with the radiative heat transfer at the
nanoscale. Here, the flux can be orders of magnitude larger than the flux given by
Stefan-Boltzmann law. Surface waves can be used to enhance this flux and also to
control its spectrum. Applications to heat flux modulators and thermophotovoltaics
devices are discussed.
Keywords Plasmon · Thermal radiation · Surface waves
8.1 Surface-Waves Assisted Thermal Emission
8.1.1 Introduction to Thermal Emission
8.1.1.1 Radiometric Point of View
In this section we briefly introduce the definitions used to deal with emitted flux in
the framework of radiometry. We then introduce an alternative point of view based
P. Ben-Abdallah · F. Marquier · J.-J. Greffet (B)
Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d’Optique, CNRS, 2 av Fresnel, 91127 Palaiseau, France
e-mail: pba@institutoptique.fr
F. Marquier
e-mail: francois.marquier@institutoptique.fr
J.-J. Greffet
e-mail: jean-jacques.greffet@institutoptique.fr
T. V. Shahbazyan and M. I. Stockman (eds.), Plasmonics: Theory and Applications,
283
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7805-4_8, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Controlling Thermal Radiation
with Surface Waves
Philippe Ben-Abdallah, François Marquier and Jean-Jacques Greffet
Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to show that surface waves can be used to
tailor radiative heat transfer. The first part of the chapter deals with the modification of
radiative properties of surfaces. By taking advantage of surface waves, it is possible to
design both the angular and the spectral characteristics of the emissivity/absorptivity.
This paves the way to the design of smart incandescent IR sources with unprecedented
properties. The second part of the chapter deals with the radiative heat transfer at the
nanoscale. Here, the flux can be orders of magnitude larger than the flux given by
Stefan-Boltzmann law. Surface waves can be used to enhance this flux and also to
control its spectrum. Applications to heat flux modulators and thermophotovoltaics
devices are discussed.
Keywords Plasmon · Thermal radiation · Surface waves
8.1 Surface-Waves Assisted Thermal Emission
8.1.1 Introduction to Thermal Emission
8.1.1.1 Radiometric Point of View
In this section we briefly introduce the definitions used to deal with emitted flux in
the framework of radiometry. We then introduce an alternative point of view based
P. Ben-Abdallah · F. Marquier · J.-J. Greffet (B)
Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d’Optique, CNRS, 2 av Fresnel, 91127 Palaiseau, France
e-mail: pba@institutoptique.fr
F. Marquier
e-mail: francois.marquier@institutoptique.fr
J.-J. Greffet
e-mail: jean-jacques.greffet@institutoptique.fr
T. V. Shahbazyan and M. I. Stockman (eds.), Plasmonics: Theory and Applications,
283
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7805-4_8, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013