Heat exchange between two interacting nanoparticles beyond the fluctuation-dissipation regime

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of heat transfer between two nanoparticles, revealing complex phase space dynamics and non-monotonic conductance behavior influenced by a hierarchy of relaxation times.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theoretical framework that explains the non-monotonic thermal conductance between nanoparticles based on phase space dynamics and energy landscape hopping.

Findings

Non-monotonic thermal conductance observed experimentally.

Heat transfer behavior analyzed at contact point.

Hierarchy of relaxation times influences heat exchange.

Abstract

We show that the observed non-monotonic behavior of the thermal conductance between two nanoparticles when they are brought into contact is originated by an intricate phase space dynamics. Here it is assumed that this dynamics results from the thermally activated jumping through a rough energy landscape. A hierarchy of relaxation times plays the key role in the description of this complex phase space behaviour. Our theory enables us to analyze the heat transfer just before and at the moment of contact.