Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer in the Dual Nanoscale Regime between Polaritonic Membranes

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Nanophotonics
• Heat transfer

Background:

• Near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) is crucial for nanoscale thermal management.
• Polaritonic materials exhibit unique electromagnetic properties enabling NFRHT manipulation.
• Subwavelength membranes offer tunable platforms for studying NFRHT phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the enhancement and attenuation of NFRHT between polaritonic subwavelength membranes (SiC, SiN, SiO2).
• To investigate the role of corner and edge modes in modulating NFRHT.
• To understand the influence of material losses on NFRHT modulation.

Main Methods:

• Fluctuational electrodynamics simulations.
• Modal analysis of polaritonic membranes.
• Calculation of heat transfer coefficients.

Main Results:

• All analyzed membranes (SiC, SiN, SiO2) support corner and edge modes.
• SiC membranes showed a 5.1-fold enhancement in heat transfer.
• SiO2 membranes exhibited a 2.1-fold attenuation in heat transfer.
• Material losses were found to reduce the density of available electromagnetic states, directly correlating with enhancement/attenuation.

Conclusions:

• Corner and edge modes significantly influence NFRHT between polaritonic subwavelength membranes.
• Material properties, particularly losses, are critical determinants of NFRHT modulation.
• The findings provide insights for designing nanoscale thermal devices with tailored heat transfer characteristics.