"This is a significant advancement in cooling technology," says Rama Venkatasubramanian, highlighting the potential of new thermoelectric materials. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland, USA, announced on May 21, 2025, a breakthrough in solid-state thermoelectric cooling.
The team developed a nanomaterial-based cooling technology that doubles the efficiency of commercially available thermoelectric devices. This innovation promises a scalable alternative to traditional compressor-based refrigeration, addressing the growing global demand for energy-efficient cooling solutions.
The core of this advancement lies in the 'Controlled Hierarchically Engineered Superlattice Structures' (CHESS) technology. CHESS uses significantly less material, about the size of a grain of sand per cooling unit, and can be mass-produced using semiconductor chip production tools, reducing costs and broadening its market adoption.
Testing revealed that CHESS materials improved efficiency by nearly 100% compared to traditional thermoelectric materials at room temperature. This translates to a 70% efficiency boost in a fully integrated refrigeration system. The technology is not only more efficient but also uses fewer materials, paving the way for mass production.
Beyond refrigeration, CHESS materials can convert temperature differences, like body heat, into usable energy. Jeff Maranchi notes this opens doors for energy harvesting technologies applicable to computers and spacecraft. The APL plans to refine CHESS materials further, focusing on enhancing efficiency and integrating AI to optimize energy use in cooling and HVAC systems.