Near-Field Thermal Modulator between Nanoparticles Based on the Multilayered Structurenear-Field Thermal Modulator between Nanoparticles Based on the Multilayered Structure

Abstract

We propose a near-field thermal modulator between nanoparticles based on the multilayered slab consisting of phase change material. Specifically, we first develop the calculation model for radiative heat transfer (RHT) between arbitrary multiple nanoparticles placed at both sides of the multilayered slab. Based on it, we start by considering the case for two particles, demonstrating that the multilayered slab can provide a strong transmission channel for RHT between particles. This is owing to the coupling of particle resonance and excited multilayered surface polaritons. This transmission channel can be switched utilizing the phase change feature, achieving the dramatically active modulation of the RHT. The impacts of particle-slab distance and the thickness of multilayered slab on the thermal control effect are studied. More interestingly, by further considering a more complicated system with particle clusters located on each side of the multilayered slab, we achieve different thermal modulation functions (thermal switching, thermal modulation, thermal amplification) of the RHT.

Keywords: Near-field radiative heat transfer, Thermal Control, nanoparticles, multilayered slab, phase change material, Green's function.