Strain-induced control of radiative heat transfer between nanoparticles in a plasmonic cavity

Abstract

Graphene enables the versatile modulation and significant enhancement of their optical properties by external strains, which plays a pivotal role in various applications, such as active thermal modulation. In this work, we investigate the near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) between two nanoparticles mediated by a strain-induced plasmonic cavity consisting of the two parallel graphene sheets (GSs) under external mechanical strain. By adjusting the strain modulus, the ellipsoidal surface plasmon polaritons supported by strain-induced graphene are found to significantly impact the NFRHT between nanoparticles. The integral and interlayer twist can synergistically manipulate the reflection properties of the cavity, allowing the anisotropic coupling of nanoparticles with the cavity in different directions. Under large strain modulus and suitable twisted angles, the NFRHT can be enhanced up to 5 orders of magnitude. In addition, the chemical potential of graphene can be tuned to provide additional ways to modulate the heat transfer between nanoparticles. These findings may open up promising avenues for highly efficient thermal management, thermal communication, and energy harvesting.