Persistent Directional Current at Equilibrium in Nonreciprocal Many-Body Near Field Electromagnetic Heat Transfer Article Swipe

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Heat transfer Current (fluid) Heat current Thermal contact Field (mathematics) Electromagnetic field Physics Thermal equilibrium Thermal Thermal radiation Enhanced heat transfer Mechanics Thermodynamics Materials science Pure mathematics Mathematics Quantum mechanics

Linxiao Zhu , Shanhui Fan ·

YOU? · · 2016 · Open Access · · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.117.134303 · OA: W2522232850

We consider the consequence of nonreciprocity in near-field heat transfer by studying systems consisting of magneto-optical nanoparticles. We demonstrate that, in thermal equilibrium, a nonreciprocal many-body system in heat transfer can support a persistent directional heat current, without violating the second law of thermodynamics. Such a persistent directional heat current cannot occur in reciprocal systems, and can only arise in many-body systems in heat transfer. The use of nonreciprocity therefore points to a new regime of near-field heat transfer for the control of heat flow in the nanoscale.