Performance enhancement of near-field thermoradiative devices using hyperbolic metamaterials.

We analyze a near-field thermoradiative device that consists of an indium arsenide-based photodiode under negative illumination. We analyze a possible enhancement of conversion efficiency by use of hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) in place of bulk metallic heat sink. A stack of alternating thin-films of metal [zirconium carbide (ZrC)] and dielectric [silicon dioxide (SiO)] is chosen to be the HMM under investigation. The presence of hyperbolic modes creates additional channels of near-field radiative transfer. An increased power density is predicted without a compromise in system efficiency.