SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Precourt Institute for Energy Advisory Council Meeting (April 21-22, 2011)

ZX Shen, Director

Tom Devereaux, Deputy Director

Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

SIMES and its Vision

• The Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences is a joint institute between SLAC and Stanford main campus to address grand challenges in the science of energy-related materials, to create knowledge, to develop leaders, and to seek solutions.

• Our vision is to become a renowned center of excellence in the science of energy-related materials.

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Quantum Materials

Ultrafast Materials Science

Organic

Materials

Interfacial Catalysis/Hydrogen Storage

Chemical Energy Storage

Supplemental support by Stanford University

through faculty salary and student fellowships

Currently Funded Programs

FY 11, initial budget ~ $11M

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

SSRL

SSRL is a 3rd generation synchrotron lightsource focusing on

three key areas for understanding materials: Scattering,

Spectroscopy and Imaging

Scattering: What is the atomic

structure in ordered and disordered

materials

Spectroscopy: What is the

electronic structure and energy

levels driving novel phenomena

Imaging: Observing the interplay

between structure and chemistry

at different length scales

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

LCLS

LCLS is the world’s first hard x-ray free electron laser

Materials in action – ability to

track the motion of atoms

and electrons in their natural

time and length scale.

The SXR Beamline tracks

changes in material’s atomic

and electronic structure with

sub-picosecond resolution

while in highly excited states.

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

SLAC Energy Research Task Force

• Z-X Shen (Task Force Chair, SLAC Chief Scientist and Director of SIMES, SLAC) • Yi Cui (Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford) • Steve Eglash (Executive Director, Energy and Environment Affiliates Program, Stanford) • Tom Himel (Professor, Particle Physics and Astrophysics, SLAC) • Chi-Chang Kao (Director, SSRL, SLAC) • IngolfLindau (Professor Emeritus, Photon Science, SLAC) • Jens Nørskov(Director, SUNCAT, SLAC) • Alfred Spormann (Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, Stanford) • Mike Toney (Senior Staff scientist, SSRL, SLAC)

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Energy Research Initiative at SLAC - 2011

• Goal – Rational design of materials and processes to enable efficient energy transformations involving photons, electrons, and molecular bonds.

• Approach – targeted design of materials at the nano-scale with controlled properties and functions to enable exciting scientific opportunities to significantly improve energy generation, transmission, storage and usage technology.

• Focus – chemical energy conversion (catalysis), – advanced photon conversion and electrochemical energy

storage (PV and batteries).

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Chemical Energy Conversion

• Problem – efficient and low cost transformation and storage of sunlight into fuel; transformation of one chemical into another; transformation of chemical energy to electricity in a fuel cell;

• Areas of activities (SUNCAT – SUstainableeNergy through CATalysis)

• Photochemical and electrochemical water splitting

• Photochemical and electrochemical CO2reduction

• Photochemical and electrochemical N2reduction

• Syngas reactions to convert H2 produced (photo-)electro-chemically or from gasified biomass into more useful fuels

• Electrode processes for new battery chemistries (Li-air)

• Hydrodeoxygenationreactions for upgrade of biomass to high energy density fuels

• Water treatment processes

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Solar Photon Conversion and Energy Storage • Problem – efficient and low cost transformation of sunlight into

electricity and battery storage of electricity

• Areas of activities (Expansion of SIMES programs) • High-efficiency, low-cost, earth-abundant solar cell materials and

transparent conductors (e.g., organic photovoltaics, spinel oxide conductors)

• Nanoscalephoton management for improved photon harvesting (trapping and absorption)

• Novel photon-to-electron conversion (e.g., photon enhanced thermionic emission)

• Novel nanostructured electrode materials for batteries

• Advanced x-ray tools for studies of solar cell materials, processing, and devices; real time imaging of battery under practical conditions

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Key partnerships with other groups at SLAC & Stanford

SIMES is a key research partner with the Linac Coherent Light Source,

the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, and other divisions

within SLAC’s Photon Science Directorate, and the Geballe Lab for

Advanced Materials, the Precourt Institute and other entities at Stanford

University.

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Growing interesting of SU departments to participate in the programs

and/or to form joint faculty searches

Scientific Opportunities between SLAC and Stanford

Physics Applied

Physics

MSE Earth

Science

Current Activities

PIE Chemical

Engineering

Chemistry EE

New Proposals

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Recent Science Highlights

High Temperature

Superconductivity Topological Spin Materials

Low power

electronics and

thermoelectric

properties

Energy

transmission and

smart grid

applications

Example of well-

controlled

nanomaterials

for model studies

Diamondoid Science

High-Tc superconductivity

T*

Tc

Current focus

What controls or limits Tc?

How can we make it higher?

Target of

investigation of PI

teams from SLAC

and LBNL

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

ARPES Time-resolved

reflectivity (TRR)

Magneto-optical Kerr effect

Multi-PI investigation SIMES/SLAC & LBNL

Synchrotron and optics

uncovers a new phase of

matter with broken

symmetries that competes

with superconductivity

R.-H. He*, M. Hashimoto* et. al., Science331 1579 (2011)

Topological insulators An Insulator that conducts

3D real space Band structure

2D surface state

Conduction

band

Valence

band

Regular conductor

Regular insulator

No “U-turn” rule “Locking” of current & spin

Application Potentials

• Low power electronics

• High density ICs

• Novel spintronics

• High efficiency thermoelectrics

• Surface catalyst

…

STM and transport

Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 126803

Nature Materials. 9, 225

Nano Letters. 10, 329

Phys. Rev. Lett., 104, 016401

Phys. Rev. B, 81, 205407

Our progress: multi-PI based efforts

Single Dirac Cone Topological insulators

Science, 325, 178

Unusual Surface state properties

Science, 329, 659

Candidate for topological superconductor

Phys. Rev. Lett., 105, 266401

Band structure of TlBiTe2

Superconducting transition

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Diamondoids

Diamondoids are a new form of carbon nanomaterial.

• allotropically pure

• systematic size, shape

• 1-2 nm in size

• spontaneous monolayer formation

• “handles like molecules, behaves like diamond”

Pursuing “ultra-thin” diamond layers for energy:

• true Negative Electron Affinity

• highly stable in O2, corrosive environment

• facile electron tunneling

• lowers material work function

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Controlling electron emission

• single monolayer of tetramantanethiol

• Au work function: 5.1 to 1.8 eV

• Efficient, low-power electron emission • Electron energy ‘filter’

• 300 meV-wide electron emission Collaboration with KLA-Tencor

bare diamondoids

This basic research stimulated photon-

enhanced thermionic emission activities.

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Backups

SIMES—Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Research A Joint Institute of SLAC Photon Science and Stanford University

Diamondoids: New Materials for Energy

<2 nm

e- hn

“Ultra-thin” (<2 nm) coating materials are essential for controlling electronic, chemical, and mechanical properties

• low-power electronic devices

• advanced solar conversion/ exciton splitting

• catalysis

• low-energy electron emission/ lighting

Traditionally, this has been the realm of metal oxides, reactive

metals, phosphors, and ‘soft’ organic modification layers.