Rotation-induced near-field thermal splitter based on anisotropic nanoparticles

Abstract

Efficient thermal management has become crucial in micro and nano devices. This research presents a near-field thermal splitter, a pivotal device for managing thermal energy at distances less than the thermal characteristic wavelength. The thermal splitter, composed of one source and two drains, utilizes the anisotropic properties of α-phase molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3) nanoparticles. By rotating the source, the direction of heat flux can be precisely controlled. When employing α-MoO3 for both source and drains, the system can achieve a thermal splitting effect ranging from 1 % to 99 %. To one’s interest, the system maintains considerable splitting effect even with drains made of other materials supporting optical modes in the reststrahlen band. The near-field thermal splitter shows robust performance despite variations in distances between the three terminals and source rotation angles. This research provides an effective approach for managing complex heat flux networks, potentially enhancing applications in energy harvesting and advanced thermal management systems.