RESEARCH
RESEARCH
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Research and Publications
Research and Publications
Thermophotovoltaic Cells
Thermophotovoltaic Cells
Thermophotovoltaic cells are a smart way to convert infrared thermal radiation into electricity. Their main components are the selective thermal emitter and the photovoltaic cell. The thermal emitter operates at high temperatures and selectively emits thermal radiation to match the photovoltaic cell's requirements. Our research is focused on the design and optimization of the different components of the thermophotovoltaic cell.
Study of W/HfO2 grating selective thermal emitters for thermophotovoltaic applications, Optics Express, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.26.00A929
High-temperature tungsten-hafnia optimized selective thermal emitters for thermophotovoltaic applications, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transf, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2019.04.008
A Numerical Study of High-Temperature, Disk-Based Tungsten and Molybdenum Thermophotovoltaic Selective Thermal Emitters, Optics Express, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.545130
Computational Electromagnetics
Computational Electromagnetics
Many devices in current technology rely on electromagnetic waves. Lasers, diodes, mirrors, or filters require the precise knowledge and management of electromagnetism to operate at their highest performance. Our research is focused on the study and development of numerical techniques to design optical components to improve the devices' performance.
Quantifying the impact of random surface perturbations on reflective gratings, Antennas Propag., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1109/TAP.2017.2780902
First and second-order optimization methods based on shape derivatives for high diffraction efficiency of perfect electric conducting gratings, JOSA A, 20202, Editors' pick, https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.394204
Diffraction efficiency optimization for multilayered parametric holographic gratings, Optics Letters, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1364/ol.431532
Uncertainty Quantification in Diffraction Gratings: Reliability Analysis Using a MultiLevel Reduced Basis Method, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, 2025 https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.547823
Radiative Cooling of PV Cells
Radiative Cooling of PV Cells
Photovoltaic cells are a keystone in fighting global warming. However, the efficiency of commercial cells remains low. Moreover, cells' operating temperature is detrimental to their performance. Radiative cooling of photovoltaic cells is considered a simple and passive solution that could improve solar cells' efficiency during operation by managing thermal radiation.
Numerical study of sodalime and PDMS hemisphere photonic structures for radiative cooling of silicon solar cells, Optics Express, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.466335
Additional Projects
Additional Projects
Explore more of my research projects on my Google Scholar profile.
Funded Research Projects
Funded Research Projects
Computationally-efficient machine learning-based holistic optimization of thermophotovoltaic systems through nanophotonic engineering (Fondecyt iniciación, ANID, 2022-2025)
Optimization of nanophotonic structures for radiative cooling of photovoltaic cells (UTEM internal funding, LPR19-08, 2020-2022)
Main Collaborators
Main Collaborators
Dr. Juliana Jaramillo-Fernández, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Cataluña
Dr. Patrick Fay, University of Notre Dame, United States, https://www3.nd.edu/~hscdlab/
Dr. Carlos Jerez-Hanckes, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Chile, https://sites.google.com/view/jerez-hanckes/home
Dr. José Pinto, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Chile
Dr. Rubén Aylwin, Universität Ulm, Germany
Dr. Jorge Morales and Dr. Chandra Kumar, Universidad Mayor, Chile
Conferences Presentations and Publications
Conferences Presentations and Publications
Juliana Jaramillo-Fernandez, Gerardo Silva-Oelker, and David Astraili; “Passive radiative cooling materials integrated in renewable energy technologies for enhanced performance," EPJ Web Conf., Vol. 309, 2024, EOS Annual Meeting (EOSAM 2024), 13007, https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202430913007
G. Silva-Oelker; “Design of selective thermal emitters for energy applications," Annual Meeting Photonic Devices, Berlin, Germany, April 2024.
G. Silva-Oelker, R. Stillwell, E. Sheeder, L. Senn, A. Longoria, T. O’Sullivan; “Assessing Image Reproducibility in Free-Form Raster Scan fdNIRS Imaging," Optica Biophotonics Congress: Biomedical Optics 2024 (Translational, Microscopy, OCT, OTS, BRAIN), April 2024, https://doi.org/10.1364/TRANSLATIONAL.2024.JM4A.16
N. Toledo, F. Osorio, and G. Silva-Oelker; “Estudio Paramétrico de Componentes y Desempeño de un Dispositivo Termofotovoltaico," Jornadas de Mecánica Computacional, October 2023
G. Silva-Oelker; “Ingeniería de las Propiedades Ópticas y la Radiación Térmica a Través de Nano/Micro Estructuras," Jornadas de Mecánica Computacional, October 2022
G. Silva-Oelker, J. Jaramillo-Fernández; “Study of Photonic Radiative Coolers Based on Semispheres for Silicon Photovoltaic Cells," Advanced Photonic Congres, Optica, July 2022
J. Pinto, R. Aylwin, G. Silva-Oelker, and C. Jerez-Hanckes;“OptimizacióndeEstructurasPeriódicasMulticapaaTravésdelMétodo de Gradiente y Derivadas de Forma," Jornadas de Mecánica Computacional, October 2021, https://jmc-2021.web.app/
J. Pinto, R. Aylwin, G. Silva-Oelker, and C. Jerez-Hanckes; “A spectral discretization scheme for quasi-periodic boundary integral equations and shape optimization of transmission gratings," International Conference on Spectral and High Order Methods, July 2021, https://www.conftool.com/icosahom2020/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=12#paperID288
R. Aylwin, G. Silva-Oelker, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and P. Fay;“TheShapeDerivativeforUncertaintyQuantificationandOptimizationof Perfectly Electric Conducting Gratings,” Workshop on Theoretical and Numerical Tools for Nanophotonics, Berlin, Germany, February 2020, http://www.zib.de/workshop-photonic-devices/files/Program_BookofAbstracts_TNTN2020.pdf
N. Venkatesan, G. Silva-Oelker, and P. Fay; “Graded-ChannelGaN-BasedHEMTsforHighLinearityAmplifiersatMillimeter-Wave,” IEEE BiCMOS and Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuits and Technology Symposium (BCiCTS), Nashville, TN, United States, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1109/BCICTS45179.2019.8972753.
G. Silva-Oelker, R. Aylwin, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and P. Fay; “Cuantificación de Perturbaciones de Superficie y Optimización de Forma en Dispersión de Ondas en Gratings,” Jornadas de Mecánica Computacional, Santiago, Chile, October 2019. https: //www.scmc.cl/jornadas2019
G.Silva-Oelker,R.Aylwin,C.Jerez-Hanckes,andP.Fay;“QuantifyingtheImpactofRandomSurfacePerturbationsonReflec- tive Gratings,” IABEM, Paris, France, June 2018, https://project.inria.fr/iabem2018/files/2018/06/book-of-abstracts_i abem2018.pdf
G. Silva-Oelker, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and P. Fay; “Tungsten-Hafnia Optimized Thermal Emitters for Thermophotovoltaics Appli- cations,”, APS April Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, April 2018, https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR18/Session/T01.59.
G. Silva-Oelker, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and P. Fay; “Electromagnetic scattering from gratings: Uncertainty quantification and ap- plications to thermophotovoltaic energy conversion, IEEE Electronics and Photonics Symposium,” University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, October 2017, https://nano.nd.edu/news-events/events/2017/10/19/ndieee-symposium-on-electronics- and- photonics/
R. Aylwin, P. Fay, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and G. Silva-Oelker; “Uncertainty Quantification for Electromagnetic Scattering by 1D Perfect Electric Conducting Grating,” Waves 2017, 13th International Conference on Mathematical and Numerical Aspects of Wave Propagation, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, May 2017, https://cceevents.umn.edu/sites/cceevents.umn.ed u/files/waves_2017_program_booklet.pdf.
G. Silva-Oelker, R. Aylwin, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and P. Fay; “Sparse Tensor Approximation for Uncertainty Quantification on 1D Periodic Gratings,” The First Chilean Symposium on Boundary Element Method, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, December 2016, http://symposium.sitios.ing.uc.cl/bem2016/ProceedingsBEM.pdf
G. Silva-Oelker, C. Jerez-Hanckes, and P.Fay; “Sparse Tensor Approximation for Uncertainty Quantification on 2D Periodic Gratings,” IEEE Electronics and Photonics Symposium, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, October 2015, https: //nano.nd.edu/assets/179046/ieee_eds_photonics_symposium_101415.pdf
G.Silva-OelkerandC.Jerez-Hanckes;“SparseTensorApproximationforUncertaintyQuantificationon2DPeriodicGratings,” Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS), Prague, Czech Republic, July 2015, http://www.piers.org/pi ers2015Prague/files/Programadvance.pdf
G. Silva-Oelker and A. Guzmán; “Thermoelectrics and Hybrid Systems for Mining Applications,” University College of Dublin, Universitas 21 Graduate Research Conference on Energy: Systems, Policy and Solutions, Dublin, Ireland, June 2013, http: //www.ucd.ie/t4cms/Final%20programme%20for%20U21%20Conf%2019-22nd%20June.pdf.
Group Members
Group Members
Current Group Members
Current Group Members
Dr. Ancy Albert, postdoctoral researcher, Universidad Mayor
Former Group Members
Former Group Members
Nelson Toledo, undergraduate, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana
Fabián Osorio, undergraduate, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana
Ignacio Álvarez, undergraduate, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana
Javier Iturra, undergraduate, Universidad de Talca
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