The Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation accepted applications for its inaugural research Grant of $10,000.00 in the summer of 2014. The Foundation Board and Advisors were exceedingly impressed by the depth of academic and personal attributes demonstrated in the many applications received. After much consultation and review by the Grant Advisory Committee and the Foundation Board, we are pleased to announce Arthur Montazeri as the first recipient of the Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation Grant to be awarded November 2014.
Arthur received both his B.Eng. in Engineering Physics and Master of Applied Science at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. He enrolled in 2011 as a PhD Candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. During his young academic career, Arthur has authored numerous scientific articles and has provisional patents on two devices.
Arthur’s PhD research project is ‘Harnessing infrared radiation using nano-antennas and supercapacitors’. Here he explains the concept and objectives of his project.
“Almost everything around us radiates in the infrared range characteristic of the thermal energy vibrations of molecules. These emissions contribute to the enormous amount of information and energy that surrounds us in the form of infrared radiation. Yet it is difficult to control, concentrate, and avail this radiation as it traverses and permeates the world around us. It appears that in nature there is a lack of materials that can efficiently handle infrared radiation, a deficiency due to the fact that most molecules begin to “shake” in the presence of infrared light. Imagine a waiter carrying a tray of drinks, he/she hears a favorite tune and unable to hold back from moving to the rhythm, spills the parcel of beverages. In this analogy, the molecules scatter the energy at the tune of the infrared. This lack of naturally stoic materials to efficaciously control and guide infrared compels the exploration of nano-engineered alternatives. Drawing on this new proposed class of nano-engineered materials and the advancements of nanofabrication tools, my research zeroes in on harnessing this abundant source of energy. This quest has taken me to UC-Berkeley in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where I hope to drive the development of nano-structures that capture and harvest infrared energy.I consider myself fortunate to retain the expertise and backing of the Advanced Photovoltaics and Devices (APD) group under the supervision of Prof. Nazir P. Kherani that has helped to drive this project to its current internationally acclaimed stage.”
The Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation is proud to contribute to the support of Arthur’s project in sustainable clean energy research!
