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NASA NTRS2021

A Sulfur Dioxide Covariance-Based Retrieval Algorithm (COBRA): Application to TROPOMI Reveals New Emission Sources

Sensitive and accurate detection of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) from space is important for monitoring and estimating global sulfur emissions. Inspired by detection methods applied in the thermal infrared, we present here a new scheme to retrieve SO 2 columns from satellite observations of ultraviolet back-scattered radiances. The retrieval is based on a measurement error covariance matrix to fully represent the SO 2 -free radiance variability, so that the SO 2 slant column density is the only retrieved parameter of the algorithm. We demonstrate this approach, named COBRA, on measurements from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) aboard the Sentinel-5 Precursor (S-5P) satellite. We show that the method reduces significantly both the noise and biases present in the current TROPOMI operational DOAS SO 2 retrievals. The performance of this technique is also benchmarked against that of the Principal Component Algorithm (PCA) approach. We find that the quality of the data is similar and even slightly better with the proposed COBRA approach. The ability of the algorithm to retrieve SO 2 accurately is also further supported by comparison with ground-based observations. We illustrate the great sensitivity of the method with a high-resolution global SO 2 map, considering two and a half years of TROPOMI data. In addition to the known sources, we detect many new SO 2 emission hotspots worldwide. For the largest sources, we use the COBRA data to estimate SO 2 emission rates. Results are comparable to other recently published TROPOMI-based SO 2 emissions estimates, but the associated uncertainties are significantly lower than with the operational data. Next, for a limited number of weak sources, we demonstrate the potential of our data for quantifying SO 2 emissions with a detection limit of about 8 kt yr -1 , a factor of 4 better than the emissions derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). We anticipate that the systematic use of our TROPOMI COBRA SO 2 column data set at a global scale will allow identifying and quantifying missing sources, and help improving SO 2 emission inventories.

SO2↗

NASA NTRS1972

Comet Tails of Type 2

A summary is presented of a theory for the head and tail regions of Type 2 (dust) comets, wherein dust particles having a wide distribution of sizes are assumed to be released from the comet nucleus in an essentially continuous manner in time during the period of distinctive cometary phenomena. The dust particles are assumed to be accelerated radially outward from the nucleus as a result of a drag interaction with the expanding gas in the comet head. In the tail region the only significant forces assumed to act on the dust particles are solar gravity and the force of solar radiation pressure. It is shown how results describing the surface density in the tail are obtained and how by matching calculated distributions with measured ones it is possible to determine the dust and head-gas emission rates as a function of time, the distribution of dust particle sizes, and the emission velocity from the inner head region as a function of particle size and time. The results of matching calculated density distributions with light intensity measurements from Comet Arend-Roland 1956h are summarized.

Probstein, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Jovian proton aurora

Auroral and polar cap emissions in a model Jovian atmosphere are determined for proton precipitation. The incident protons, which are characterized by representative spectra, are degraded in energy by applying the continuous slowing down approximation. All secondary and higher generation electrons are assumed to be absorbed locally and their contributions to the total emissions are included. Volume emission rates are calculated from the total direct excitation rates with corrections for cascading applied. Results show that most molecular hydrogen and helium emissions for polar cap precipitation are below the ambient dayglow values. Charge capture by precipitating protons is an important source of Lyman alpha and Balmer alpha emissions and offers a key to the detection of large fluxes of low energy protons.

Heaps, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Electron Density and Two-Channel Neutron Emission Measurements in Steady-State Spherical Inertial-Electrostatically Confined Plasmas, with Review of the One-Dimensional Kinetic Model

Electron density measurements have been made in steady-state plasmas in a spherical inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) discharge using microwave interferometry. Plasma cores interior to two cathodes, having diameters of 15 and 23 cm, respectively, were probed over a transverse range of 10 cm with a spatial resolution of about 1.4 cm for buffer gas pressures from 0.2 to 6 Pa in argon and deuterium. The transverse profiles are generally flat, in some cases with eccentric symmetric minima, and give mean densities of from approx. = 0.4 to 7 x 10(exp 10)/cu cm, the density generally increasing with the neutral gas pressure. Numerical solutions of the one-dimensional Poisson equation for IEC plasmas are reviewed and energy distribution functions are identified which give flat transverse profiles. These functions are used with the plasma approximation to obtain solutions which also give densities consistent with the measurements, and a double potential well solution is obtained which has minima qualitatively similar to those observed. Explicit consideration is given to the compatibility of the solutions interior and exterior to the cathode, and to grid transparency. Deuterium fusion neutron emission rates were also measured and found to be isotropic, to within the measurement error, over two simultaneous directions. Anisotropy was observed in residual emissions during operation with nonfusing hydrogen- 1. The deuterium rates are consistent with predictions from the model.

Dobson, Chris C.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Regional Variation in Light-Duty Plug-in Electric Vehicle Emissions

Automobile electrification is viewed as one of the key requirements for deep decarbonization of transportation. However, the exact magnitude of decarbonization from switching from a combustion of petroleum-based fuels to grid-derived electricity is a complex issue. Variations in local grid mixes lead to differing carbon intensities of electricity in different regions. This complexity is compounded by geographical differences in vehicle characteristics. This analysis considers these geographic differences to produce a historical assessment of the fuel-cycle carbon emissions of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the United States from 2011 to 2021. We find that PEVs in the United States decreased in electricity-derived carbon intensity, from 187 grams per mile to 110 grams per mile from 2011 to 2021 due to improvements in the electric grid and vehicle efficiency. Through 2021, PEVs emitted a total of 13.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States, including both emissions from electricity and gasoline, while driving a total of 100 billion miles. Of this total, 8.39 million metric tons was due to electricity consumption. Over the same distance, comparable gasoline vehicles would have emitted between 29 and 41 million metric tons of GHG, leading to a reduction of 15 to 27 million metric tons. Relative to national-level assessments that do not factor in this regional difference, these electric vehicles resulted in 13% greater reductions in GHG emissions than previously calculated. In the future, announced goals to further decarbonize the electricity sector will continue to reduce the emissions of PEVs, including reducing emissions rates for vehicles already on the road, further improving the benefits relative to the unchanging emissions of contemporaneous gasoline vehicles.

02 PETROLEUM↗

NASA NTRS1993

WINDII, the wind imaging interferometer on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

The WIND imaging interferometer (WINDII) was launched on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) on September 12, 1991. This joint project, sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency and the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, in collaboration with NASA, has the responsibility of measuring the global wind pattern at the top of the altitude range covered by UARS. WINDII measures wind, temperature, and emission rate over the altitude range 80 to 300 km by using the visible region airglow emission from these altitudes as a target and employing optical Doppler interferometry to measure the small wavelength shifts of the narrow atomic and molecular airglow emission lines induced by the bulk velocity of the atmosphere carrying the emitting species. The instrument used is an all-glass field-widened achromatically and thermally compensated phase-stepping Michelson interferometer, along with a bare CCD detector that images the airglow limb through the interferometer. A sequence of phase-stepped images is processed to derive the wind velocity for two orthogonal view directions, yielding the vector horizontal wind. The process of data analysis, including the inversion of apparent quantities to vertical profiles, is described.

Shepherd, G. G.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Electron Density and Two-Channel Neutron Emission Measurements in Steady-State Spherical Inertial-Electrostatically Confined Plasmas, with Review of the 1-D Kinetic Model

Electron density measurements have been made in steady-state plasmas in a spherical inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) discharge using microwave interferometry. Plasma cores interior to two cathodes, having diameters of 15 and 23 cm, respectively, were probed over a transverse range of 10 cm with a spatial resolution of about 1.4 cm for buffer gas pressures from 0.2 to 6 Pa in argon and deuterium. The transverse profiles are generally flat, in some cases with eccentric symmetric minima, and give mean densities of from approx. = 0.4 to 7x 10(exp 10)/cu cm, the density generally increasing with the neutral gas pressure. Numerical solutions of the 1-D Poisson equation for EC plasmas are reviewed and energy distribution functions are identified which give flat transverse profiles. These functions are used with the plasma approximation to obtain solutions which also give densities consistent with the measurements, and a double potential well solution is obtained which has minima qualitatively similar to those observed. Explicit consideration is given to the compatibility of the solutions interior and exterior to the cathode, and to grid transparency. Deuterium fusion neutron emission rates were also measured and found to be isotropic, to within the measurement error, over two simultaneous directions. Anisotropy was observed in residual emissions during operation with non-fusing hydrogen-1. The deuterium rates are consistent with predictions from the model.

Dobson, Chris C.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Orchestrating Spontaneous Emission With Metasurfaces: Recent Advances in Engineering Thermal, Luminescent, and Quantum Emissions

Metasurfaces have emerged as powerful tools for controlling spontaneous emission, offering unprecedented control over light-matter interactions at sub-wavelength scales. While metasurfaces are traditionally utilized for shaping coherent electromagnetic waves, they have recently extended their capabilities to control incoherent or spontaneous emission. This examines review how metasurfaces can enhance and precisely control properties of thermal, luminescent, and quantum emission. In thermal emission, metasurfaces enable control over spatial, temporal, and spin coherence, offering new possibilities for applications such as energy harvesting, radiative cooling and heat assisted ranging and detection. For luminescent emission, metasurfaces significantly improve emission rates, quantum efficiency, and directionality, driving innovations in lighting and display technologies. For controlling quantized spontaneous emission, metasurfaces are instrumental in enhancing single-photon sources and enabling novel functionalities in quantum states through photon-pair generation, which is vital for quantum communication, meteorology, and computing. Here, despite these advancements several challenges to increase the operational bandwidths, accelerate and develop simulation strategies, and fabrication complexities persist. Emerging trends are also discussed, such as dynamic metasurfaces and their integration with nanophotonic platforms, which could further expand the capabilities of light-emitting metasurfaces.

Luminescence↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energetic particle transport and loss induced by helically-trapped energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange modes in the Large Helical Device

Here, energetic-ion confinement and loss due to energetic-ion driven magnetohydrodynamic modes are studied using comprehensive neutron diagnostics and orbit-following numerical simulations for the Large Helical Device (LHD). The neutron flux monitor is employed in order to obtain global confinement of energetic ions and two installed vertical neutron cameras (VNCs) viewing different poloidal cross-sections are utilized in order to measure the radial profile of energetic ions. A strong helically-trapped energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange mode (EIC) excited in relatively low-density plasma terminated high-temperature state in LHD. Changes in the neutron emission profile due to the EIC excitation are clearly visualized by the VNCs. The reduction in the neutron signal for the helical ripple valley increases with EIC amplitude, which reaches approximately 50%. In addition to the EIC experiment, orbit-following simulations using the DELTA5D code with EIC fluctuations were performed to assess the energetic-ion transport and loss. Two-dimensional temporal evolution results show that the neutron emissivity at the helical ripple decreases significantly due to the EIC. The rapid reduction in neutron emissivity shows that the helically-trapped beam ions immediately escape from the plasma. The reduction in the VNC signals for the helical ripple valley and the total neutron emission rate increase with increasing EIC amplitude, as observed in the experiment. Calculated line-integrated neutron emission results show that the profile measured by VNC1 has one peak, whereas the profile measured by VNC2 has two peaks, as observed in the experiment. Although the neutron emission profile for VNC2 has a relatively wide peak compared with the experimental results, the significant decrease in neutron signal corresponding to the helical ripple valley was successfully reproduced.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Development of a forced advection sampling technique (FAST) for quantification of methane emissions from orphaned wells

Abstract. Orphaned wells, meaning unplugged and non-producing wells lacking responsible owners, pose a significant and undersampled environmental challenge due to their vast number and unknown associated emissions. We propose, develop and test an alternative method for estimating emissions from orphaned wells using a forced advection sampling technique (FAST) that can overcome many of the limitations in current methods (cost, accuracy, safety). In contrast to existing ambient Gaussian plume methods, our approach uses a fan-generated flow to force advection between the emission source and a point methane (CH4) sensor. The fan flow field is characterized using a colocated sonic anemometer to measure the 3D wind profile generated by the fan. Using time-series measurements of CH4 concentration and wind, a simple estimate of the CH4 emission rate of the source can be inferred. The method was calibrated using outdoor controlled-release experiments and then tested on four orphaned wells in Lufkin, TX, and Osage County, OK. Our results suggest that the FAST method can provide a low-cost, portable, fast and safe alternative to existing methods with reasonable estimates of orphaned well emissions over a range of leak rates below 40 g h−1 and within certain geometric and atmospheric constraints.

Dubey, Mohit L↗

DOE OSTI2020

Leaf isoprene and monoterpene emission distribution across hyperdominant tree genera in the Amazon basin

Tropical forests are acknowledged to be the largest global source of isoprene (C 5 H 8 ) and monoterpenes (C 10 H 16 ) emissions, with current synthesis studies suggesting few tropical species emit isoprenoids (20-38%) and do so with highly variable emission capacities, including within the same genera. This apparent lack of a clear phylogenetic thread has created difficulties both in linking isoprenoid function with evolution and for the development of accurate biosphere-atmosphere models. In this work, we present a systematic emission study of "hyperdominant" tree species in the Amazon Basin. Across 162 individuals, distributed among 25 botanical families and 113 species, isoprenoid emissions were widespread among both early and late successional species (isoprene: 61.9% of the species; monoterpenes: 15.0%; both isoprene and monoterpenes: 9.7%). The hyperdominant species (69) across the top five most abundant genera, which make up about 50% of all individuals in the Basin, had a similar abundance of isoprenoid emitters (isoprene: 63.8%; monoterpenes: 17.4%; both 11.6%). Among the abundant genera, only Pouteria had a low frequency of isoprene emitting species (15.8% of 19 species). In contrast, Protium, Licania, Inga, and Eschweilera were rich in isoprene emitting species (83.3% of 12 species, 61.1% of 18 species, 100% of 8 species, and 100% of 12 species, respectively). Light response curves of individuals in each of the five genera showed light-dependent, photosynthesis-linked emission rates of isoprene and monoterpenes. Importantly, in every genus, we observed species with light-dependent isoprene emissions together with monoterpenes including β-ocimene. These observations support the emerging view of the evolution of isoprene synthases from β-ocimene synthases. Our results have important implications for understanding isoprenoid function-evolution relationships and the development of more accurate Earth System Models.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Experimental Soil Warming and Permafrost Thaw Increase CH 4 Emissions in an Upland Tundra Ecosystem

Rapid Arctic warming is causing permafrost to thaw and exposing large quantities of soil organic carbon (C) to potential decomposition. In dry upland tundra systems, subsidence from thawing permafrost can increase surface soil moisture resulting in higher methane (CH 4 ) emissions from newly waterlogged soils. The proportion of C released as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and CH 4 remains uncertain as previously dry landscapes transition to a thawed state, resulting in both wetter and drier microsites. To address how thaw and moisture interact to affect total C emissions, here we measured CH 4 and CO 2 emissions from paired chambers across thaw and moisture gradients created by nine years of experimental soil warming in interior Alaska. Cumulative growing season (May–September) CH 4 emissions were elevated at both wetter (216.1–1,099.4 mg CH 4 -C m –2 ) and drier (129.7–392.3 mg CH 4 -C m –2 ) deeply thawed microsites relative to shallow thaw (55.6–215.7 mg CH 4 -C m –2 ) and increased with higher deep soil temperatures and permafrost thaw depth. Interannual variability in CH4 emissions was driven by wet conditions in graminoid-dominated plots that generated >70% of emissions in a wet year. Shoulder season emissions were equivalent to growing season CH 4 emissions rates in the deeply thawed, warmed soils, highlighting the importance of non-growing season CH 4 emissions. Net C sink potential was reduced in deeply thawed wet plots by 4%–42%, and by 3.5%–8% in deeply thawed drier plots due to anaerobic respiration, suggesting that some dry upland tundra landscapes may transition into stronger CH 4 sources in a warming Arctic.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Dynamics of photosynthetic light harvesting systems interacting with N-photon Fock states

Here, we develop a method to simulate the excitonic dynamics of realistic photosynthetic light harvesting systems, including non-Markovian coupling to phonon degrees of freedom, under excitation by N-photon Fock state pulses. This method combines the input–output and the hierarchical equations of motion formalisms into a double hierarchy of density matrix equations. We show analytically that under weak field excitation relevant to natural photosynthesis conditions, an N-photon Fock state input and a corresponding coherent state input give rise to equal density matrices in the excited manifold. However, an N-photon Fock state input induces no off-diagonal coherence between the ground and excited subspaces, in contrast with the coherences created by a coherent state input. We derive expressions for the probability to absorb a single Fock state photon with or without the influence of phonons. For short pulses (or, equivalently, wide bandwidth pulses), we show that the absorption probability has a universal behavior that depends only upon a system-dependent effective energy spread parameter Δ and an exciton–light coupling constant Γ. This holds for a broad range of chromophore systems and for a variety of pulse shapes. We also analyze the absorption probability in the opposite long pulse (narrow bandwidth) regime. We then derive an expression for the long time emission rate in the presence of phonons and use it to study the difference between collective vs independent emission. Finally, we present a numerical simulation for the LHCII monomer (14-mer) system under single photon excitation that illustrates the use of the double hierarchy equations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2020

Many-Body Signatures of Collective Decay in Atomic Chains

Fully inverted atoms placed at exactly the same location synchronize as they deexcite, and light is emitted in a burst (known as “Dicke’s superradiance”). We investigate the role of finite interatomic separation on correlated decay in mesoscopic chains and provide an understanding in terms of collective jump operators. We show that the superradiant burst survives at small distances, despite Hamiltonian dipole-dipole interactions. However, for larger separations, competition between different jump operators leads to dephasing, suppressing superradiance. Collective effects are still significant for arrays with lattice constants of the order of a wavelength, and lead to a photon emission rate that decays nonexponentially in time. We calculate the two-photon correlation function and demonstrate that emission is correlated and directional, as well as sensitive to small changes in the interatomic distance. Furthermore, these features can be measured in current experimental setups, and are robust to realistic imperfections.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1974

Pioneer 10 ultraviolet photometer observations at Jupiter encounter

A two-channel extreme ultraviolet photometer on Pioneer 10 was used to investigate hydrogen and helium emissions from the atmosphere of Jupiter and emissions associated with the Galilean satellites. The hydrogen Lyman alpha signal observed from Jupiter corresponded to 400 R in brightness. By using the results of Wallace and Hunten (1973), the eddy diffusion coefficient is found to be K = 3 x 10 to the (8 plus or minus 1) power. The He I 584-A emission rate was found to be 5.1 R. The radiative transfer problem for the resonantly scattered He I emissions was investigated in the coherent approximation. With these results, the observed brightness, and the derived eddy diffusion coefficient the He/H2 ratio in the mixing region of the atmosphere was found to be equal to 0.18 minus 0.12 or plus 0.46. Emissions attributed to H I Lyman alpha were found at the orbital radius of Io and appear to be due to resonance scattering by a toroidal cloud of H in orbit around Jupiter.

Carlson, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Matthews-WLR-CH4: A New Wetland, Lake, and Reservoir Methane Emissions Data Set

Methane (CH4) is emitted from a variety of sources, both natural and anthropogenic, and is the second most important greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Natural wetlands are the largest single contributor to annual global CH4 emissions and other inland water sources, such as lakes and reservoirs, produce CH4 but have received less attention. These emission sources are among the most uncertain components of the global CH4 cycle. These uncertainties stem from numerous issues, including the vast variability in these ecosystems and the sensitivity of CH4 emissions to interannual climate variations. Existing CH4 emission models display large differences in wetland spatial extent and include simplified, or lack all together, wetland-type classifications. Furthermore, CH4 emissions from lakes and reservoirs are typically combined with wetlands, or ignored, on a regional and global scale. Our NASA Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science (IDS) study is focused on developing a suite of data sets on wetlands, lakes, and reservoirs (WLR) including global distributions of types, CH4-centric classifications, and daily CH4 emission rates (hereafter Matthews-WLR-CH4). This project is unique in that it comprises source-independent emission data for WLR, the first spatially-explicit data set of lake and reservoir CH4 emissions, and wetland emissions comprising numerous different wetland-type classifications.The focus of this study is to perform the initial evaluation of the wetland and lake CH4 emissions data from Matthews-WLR-CH4. This evaluation will focus on the domain of North America and include: 1) estimates of the contribution of wetland and lake sources to total CH4 emissions and atmospheric mixing ratios, 2) comparisons of wetland fraction and CH4 emissions to a suite of existing models (e.g., Wetland and Wetland CH4 Inter-comparison of Models Project (WETCHIMP), Global Carbon Project (GCP)), and 3) an accuracy assessment with in situ airborne and tower-based atmospheric CH4 observations when the Matthews-WLR-CH4 emissions are implemented in forward and inverse CarbonTracker-Lagrange (CT-L) CH4 model simulations. Here we will present the new Matthews-WLR-CH4 wetland and lake CH4 emissions data, the initial evaluation of these products, and the path forward for our project.

Reservoir↗

DOE OSTI2022

Development of Methane Emissions Model to Assess Fuel Recovery Potential at Gas Well Sites Using On Site Compression

The U.S. natural gas production and consumption has increased 85.5% since 2005 primarily due to the unconventional production methods of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Natural gas used as a fuel has a lower greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint than coal and petroleum due to lower Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions when combusted. However, the “greener” benefit to natural gas may be negated by leaks in production and transmission systems. Methane (CH4), the primary hydrocarbon in natural gas, has an estimated Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 28-36 over 100 years, meaning it can absorb 28-36 more energy than CO2 which has a GWP of 1.0. Natural gas well sites are prone to methane emissions, or leaks and irregular gas releases, vented to atmosphere throughout production and transmission. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has recently granted West Virginia University (WVU) funding under agreement DE-FOA-0002005, to “Advance technologies to mitigate methane emissions and increase the efficiency of the natural gas transportation infrastructure”. As part of this funding WVU was tasked with identifying and quantifying sources of methane emissions at unconventional well sites, processing this data, and developing a system to recapture these emissions. A 0-D Simulink model was developed, utilizing standardized methodologies, data from previously conducted studies, as well as collected data from well sites in the Marcellus shale play region. The model was developed to predict emission rates from various components at natural gas well sites as well as the potential to utilize these emissions as fuel for the natural gas powered compressor engines on-site. This model was utilized to run high, medium, and low cases for four identified emission sources, engine size, pneumatic controller count, liquid level production which dictates tank emissions, and compressor packing vent emissions. Due to discrepancies in transient tank emission data, a high and low emission factor for tanks was used, resulting in two sets of 81 executed cases, and 162 unique cases of total site emissions and potential for fuel consumption. Each of the cases were run over 86,400 seconds at a 1 Hz, representative of a full 24 hour day of operation. The fuel consumption offset an average of 557% of fuel consumption on an energy density basis across all 81 cases with the high tank emission factor with a maximum offset of 2334%. The fuel consumption offset was an average of 82.9% for all 81 cases with the low tank emission factor with a maximum offset of 337%. This study highlights flaws in the use of publicly available methane number calculations to determine natural gas’s suitability as an engine fuel as well as the lack of public data for transient liquid storage tank emissions.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Metasurfaces with Multipolar Resonances and Enhanced Light–Matter Interaction

Metasurfaces, composed of engineered nanoantennas, enable unprecedented control over electromagnetic waves by leveraging multipolar resonances to tailor light–matter interactions. This review explores key physical mechanisms that govern their optical properties, including the role of multipolar resonances in shaping metasurface responses, the emergence of bound states in the continuum (BICs) that support high-quality factor modes, and the Purcell effect, which enhances spontaneous emission rates at the nanoscale. These effects collectively underpin the design of advanced photonic devices with tailored spectral, angular, and polarization-dependent properties. This review discusses recent advances in metasurfaces and applications based on them, highlighting research that employs full-wave numerical simulations, analytical and semi-analytic techniques, multipolar decomposition, nanofabrication, and experimental characterization to explore the interplay of multipolar resonances, bound and quasi-bound states, and enhanced light–matter interactions. A particular focus is given to metasurface-enhanced photodetectors, where structured nanoantennas improve light absorption, spectral selectivity, and quantum efficiency. By integrating metasurfaces with conventional photodetector architectures, it is possible to enhance responsivity, engineer photocarrier generation rates, and even enable functionalities such as polarization-sensitive detection. The interplay between multipolar resonances, BICs, and emission control mechanisms provides a unified framework for designing next-generation optoelectronic devices. This review consolidates recent progress in these areas, emphasizing the potential of metasurface-based approaches for high-performance sensing, imaging, and energy-harvesting applications.

Kerker effect↗