Thermal rectification in asymmetric U-shaped graphene flakes

TL;DR

This study demonstrates significant thermal rectification in asymmetric U-shaped graphene flakes through molecular dynamics simulations, highlighting potential for heat management in nanoelectronics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of thermal rectification in asymmetric U-shaped graphene structures, revealing how geometry influences heat flow directionality.

Findings

Heat flux prefers from wide to narrow arm, showing rectification.

Rectification ratio depends on geometrical parameters.

Potential application in heat dissipation for nanoelectronic devices.

Abstract

In this paper, we study the thermal rectification in asymmetric U-shaped graphene flakes by using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The graphene flakes are composed by a beam and two arms. It is found that the heat flux runs preferentially from the wide arm to the narrow arm which indicates a strong rectification effect. The dependence of the rectification ratio upon the heat flux, the length and the width of the beam, the length and width of the two arms are studied. The result suggests a possible route to manage heat dissipation in U-shaped graphene based nanoelectronic devices.