Single mode heat rectifier: Controlling energy flow between electronic conductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates how heat transfer between conductors can be rectified by exploiting nonlinearity in electron dispersion, with implications for molecular junctions and radiative heat transfer.

Contribution

It demonstrates that heat rectification arises from nonlinearity in electron dispersion, providing a simple model linking electronic properties to thermal energy flow control.

Findings

Rectification occurs when electron dispersion deviates from linearity.

Landauer expression applies for linear dispersion, showing symmetric heat flow.

Nonlinear dispersion leads to asymmetric heat transfer, enabling rectification.

Abstract

We study heat transfer between conductors, mediated by the excitation of a monomodal harmonic oscillator. Using a simple model, we show that the onset of rectification in the system is directly related to the nonlinearity of the electron gas dispersion relation. When the metals have strictly linear dispersion relation a Landauer type expression for the thermal current holds, symmetric with respect to the temperature difference. Rectification becomes prominent when deviations from linear dispersion exist, and the fermionic model cannot be mapped into a harmonic- bosonized- representation. The effects described here are relevant for understanding radiative heat transfer and vibrational energy flow in electrically insulating molecular junctions.