The role of photonics in energy

Abstract

In celebration of the 2015 International Year of Light, we highlight major breakthroughs in photonics for energy conversion and conservation. The section on energy conversion discusses the role of light in solar light harvesting for electrical and thermal power generation; chemical energy conversion and fuel generation; as well as photonic sensors for energy applications. The section on energy conservation focuses on solid-state lighting, flat-panel displays, and optical communications and interconnects ; A.F.N. acknowledges support from the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa no Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) of Brazil. D.O'C. acknowledges support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant DMR- 1309459). J.J.P. acknowledges support from the U.S. Office of Naval Research. I.D.W.S. acknowledges support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the UK (Grants EP/K00042X and EP/L012294) and the European Research Council of the European Union (Grant 321305). N.T. acknowledges support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grants ECCS 1408051 and DMR 1505122)