The Smart Hall in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, hosted a defense session for the Master’s thesis titled:
“Plasmonic Metasurfaces for Light Harvesting”
presented by Aya Nabeel Radhi Jaafar to earn a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering / Electronics and Communications specialization, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mohammed Nadhim Abbas, on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 9:00 AM.
The thesis addressed an innovative engineering and technological solution to one of the most prominent challenges facing conventional solar energy absorbers: high temperatures resulting from excessive electromagnetic absorption, which leads to reduced cell efficiency and premature degradation. The researcher presented two advanced metasurface absorber designs that achieve adaptive thermal control and active dynamic modulation in the near-infrared spectrum without altering geometric dimensions or adding static cooling layers:
The first design (Interlocking Cylindrical MIM Structure) integrates Copper (Cu), Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), and a tri-layer of Graphene (Gr). It achieves a peak broadband absorption efficiency of 93.54% when setting the Fermi level of Graphene at 0.1 eV. When electrically tuned to 0.7 eV, absorption is suppressed to 67.92%, shifting the device into thermal protection mode. Thermal analysis demonstrated a temperature reduction from 55.9°C to 31°C at a wavelength of 1100 nm, with angular stability up to 55° and polarization insensitivity.
The second design (VO2-Based Phase-Change Structure) composes Titanium Nitride (TiN), Vanadium Dioxide (VO2), and Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). It functions as an ideal solar absorber with an absorption rate of 91.7% at low temperatures. As temperatures rise, it automatically switches to a reflector in the near-infrared region with an absorption rate of 78.4% for thermal protection, while continuing electricity generation in the visible light spectrum. It contributes to reducing temperature from 52.2°C to 35.2°C at a wavelength of 2500 nm.
The examination committee praised the scientific and applied impact of the thesis, noting that it provides a promising framework for developing the next generation of solar cells and integrated optoelectronic systems.
