Thermotunnel cooling
Thermotunneling is a thermoelectric process where electron pass from one surface to another is possible by the two surfaces being very close to each other (few nanometers). By applying low voltage potential across the surfaces, energetic electrons can move from one surface to the other. The energetic electrons are being replaced by electrons with average energy, thus cooling the first surface while the energetic electrons are heating the second surface. The use of low work function materials is required to allow the electrons pass through the gap. The small distance between the two surfaces allows electron transfer to  occur at lower energy levels than normally required, as if tunneling through the normal energy barrier. This process is also known as field emission. The thermo-tunneling effect was first observed in 1980 in Al-PbBi tunnel-junctions in which one electrode was heated by laser irradiation. Physical Modeling Description. We are interested in calculating the maximum recoverable power density , the current-voltage characteristic, and the associated efficiency η for a given configuration of an energy thermo-tunneling device. The modeling for thermo-tunneling energy scavenging has already been developed for simple geometrical and physical structure. For cooling applications, two  metallic metallic plane electrodes separated by a thin vacuum gap of width formula_1 are needed. One electrode is at the cold temperature formula_2, and the other at formula_3. For simplicity it is common to assume the temperatures of the electrodes are constant. The work functions of electrodes are the only physical parameters relevant for this modeling. In the present model, the work functions and of the hot and cold electrodes determine the shape of the potential barrier between electrodes. Since the temperatures of the electrodes are different, the energetic repartitions of electrons in each electrode are different too resulting in  the hot electrode emitting more electrons than the cold one. The total current density between the electrodes is defined as the difference between the hot and cold side contributions: In the same way, the total thermal power density transferred from the hot to the cold electrode, defined as the difference between contributions of hot and cold sides: When current density is happening, a bias voltage occurs between the electrodes at different temperatures in response. This bias voltage counters the effect of the temperature difference. And thus a Fermi-level shift is created between the hot and cold electrodes, =. It  amplifies electron tunneling from cold to hot side and weakening electron tunneling from hot to cold side. Due to this Fermi level shift between electrodes, the potential barrier between electrodes different for electrons crossing from the hot to the cold side and for electrons crossing from the cold to the hot side. Contribution of electrons crossing from hot to cold electrode. The potential energy of an electron moving from the hot to the cold electrode in the thin vacuum gap is: Where is the distance from the hot electrode to the electron, formula_1 is the width of the gap, and  formula_6 is the electron charge. Using the classical WKB approximation is given by: where, and are roots of . Current density emitted from hot to cold electrode is then given by: Where is the number of electrons per unit area in unit time that can escape from the hot electrode and reach the cold one with their kinetic energy in x direction in infinitesimal range and is given by: The first term in front of the integral is the density of state in the momentum space (), ( and respectively, ) represents the Fermi-Dirac distribution for electrons of the hot ( and cold) electrode , is the total energy of the electron, is the Fermi level shift between the two electrodes, and p and p are electron momentum in in-plane y and z directions in the hot electrode. Thermal power density emitted by the hot electrode on the cold one is given by: In this integral is included to account for the average transverse kinetic energy of electrons which cross the gap from hot to cold side, with being Boltzmann constant. Contribution of electrons crossing from cold to hot electrode. For an electron moving from the cold to the hot electrode, the potential energy  inside the thin vacuum gap is a bit different, and it is considering the Fermi-level shift due to the bias voltage, between the electrodes. With respect to the Fermi level of the cold electrode, the potential energy of an electron moving from cold to hot electrode in the thin vacuum gap is: Where is the distance from the electron to cold electrode. Expressions for the current and thermal power densities for the contribution of electrons moving from cold to hot electrode are obtained in a similar way as for the section above. Due to the Fermi level shift with  respect to the hot electrode, the probability of crossing the gap for an electron of the cold electrode is redefined as: The total current density emitted from cold to hot electrode: Where is given by: Thermal power density emitted from the cold electrode to the hot electrode can now be calculated: Modern development. Potential Performance. The theoretical performance of thermo-tunneling devices operating near room temperature has been estimated by GE, Borealis, and Tempronics to be in the range of 50% to 80% of Carnot efficiency. The theoretical performance of thermo-tunneling for room-temperature cooling is equivalent of vapor  compression technology, but the design problems are difficult to overcome.