Electronic heat current rectification in hybrid superconducting devices

TL;DR

This paper reviews and proposes new designs for electronic thermal diodes using hybrid superconducting devices, demonstrating how to enhance heat current rectification for potential applications in cryogenic electronics.

Contribution

It introduces novel hybrid superconducting device configurations that significantly improve heat current rectification efficiency compared to single junctions.

Findings

Rectification efficiency can be increased by combining multiple junctions.

Three different device designs are analyzed for performance.

Potential applications in solid-state thermal nanocircuits and cryogenic electronics.

Abstract

In this work, we review and expand recent theoretical proposals for the realization of electronic thermal diodes based on tunnel-junctions of normal metal and superconducting thin films. Starting from the basic rectifying properties of a single hybrid tunnel junction, we will show how the rectification efficiency can be largely increased by combining multiple junctions in an asymmetric chain of tunnel-coupled islands. We propose three different designs, analyzing their performance and their potential advantages. Besides being relevant from a fundamental physics point of view, this kind of devices might find important technological application as fundamental building blocks in solid-state thermal nanocircuits and in general-purpose cryogenic electronic applications requiring energy management.