Eduardo wants to solve nanotechnology鈥檚 heat problem
As microchips in smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices become more powerful and compact, a significant issue arises: how to get rid of the heat? Eduardo Dias from POLIMA has received a prestigious EU fellowship to find a solution.
It is known as Moore’s Law.
Since the 1960s, the number of transistors that can be packed onto a microchip has increased exponentially. This has provided the processing power we now take for granted in even small devices like mobile phones. However, it has also created an ever-growing problem: heat.
As more and more transistors are placed in ever-smaller spaces, it becomes increasingly difficult to dissipate heat.
- Not only does this mean that the chips become less powerful and won’t last as long, but it is also a waste of energy since a lot of the energy is turned into heat, explains Eduardo Dias, a postdoctoral researcher at the Mads Clausen Institute at the University of Southern Denmark.
Eduardo Dias, a theoretical physicist, conducts research in nanophotonics – the study of how light interacts with materials at the nanoscale or atomic level. He has recently been awarded one of the highly sought-after Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships from the EU to explore a potential solution to the heat problem.
His idea is to investigate whether so-called 2D materials – a relatively new class of “flat” materials consisting of just a single layer of atoms – can be engineered to exchange heat and light at the nanoscale.
- What makes 2D materials unique is that they have entirely different thermal and optical properties compared to conventional materials, and they can be combined in countless ways by layering them, says Eduardo Dias.
Basic research with a purpose
Initially, Eduardo Dias will focus on theoretical work, conducting complex calculations on how light interacts with different combinations of 2D materials, and how that affects their thermal response. He will then, if the results turn out as expected, collaborate with colleagues at POLIMA, who conduct experimental research in the lab, to test the models in practice.
Although this is basic research, primarily aimed at exploring whether light can be used to manage heat at the nanoscale, it also tackles a pressing industrial need.
His project supervisor, associate professor Joel Cox, is certain that the next two years will be exciting.
- It’s an interesting project because, while it is fundamental research, it addresses an important societal challenge. We already have a lot of nanotechnology suffering from excessive heat generation that needs to be managed. Maybe, we can find clever ways to harvest the heat energy and use it for other applications, says Joel Cox.
- And Eduardo is simply the perfect fit. He’s a rising star in this field, where we study the interplay of light and heat at the nanoscale. I’m very excited!