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Updated: Jul 23, 2025
05:20
Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials
Published on: January 26, 2014
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Non-Hermitian Chiral Heat Transport
Guoqiang Xu1, Xue Zhou2, Ying Li3,4
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge 117583, Republic of Singapore.
Physical Review Letters
|July 14, 2023
Summary
Researchers discovered chiral heat transport near exceptional points (EPs) in thermal systems. This phenomenon exhibits robustness against perturbations, offering new ways to control heat, mass, and light flow.
Area of Science:
- Non-Hermitian physics
- Thermal transport phenomena
- Classical wave physics
Background:
- Exceptional points (EPs) in non-Hermitian systems signify eigenvalue degeneracy and eigenstate exchange.
- Chirality near EPs ensures robustness in classical wave fields, enabling asymmetric backscattering and directional emission.
- Existing non-Hermitian thermal diffusion models have not demonstrated chiral states or directional robustness in heat transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first discovery of chiral heat transport.
- To investigate the manifestation and robustness of chirality in thermal systems near EPs.
- To explore potential applications in manipulating heat, mass, and light transport.
Main Methods:
- Investigated thermal systems operating in the vicinity of exceptional points (EPs).
- Analyzed heat transport behavior under varying advections and thermal perturbations.
- Characterized the emergence and suppression of chiral heat transport at and near EPs.
Main Results:
- Discovered chiral heat transport, uniquely observable near, but not at, the EP of a thermal system.
- Demonstrated significant robustness of this chiral heat transport against substantial advective and thermal perturbations.
- Confirmed that chirality in heat transport is suppressed precisely at the EP.
Conclusions:
- Revealed the existence and unique characteristics of chirality in heat transport processes.
- Established a novel strategy for manipulating heat transport using exceptional points.
- Opened avenues for controlling mass, charge, and diffusive light transport through chiral thermal phenomena.
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