Heat diode and engine based on quantum Hall edge states

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum Hall edge states enable efficient heat-to-work conversion and thermal rectification, leveraging chiral transport properties to control charge and heat flows in a three-terminal device.

Contribution

It introduces a novel three-terminal quantum Hall system that utilizes chiral edge states for controllable thermoelectric and thermal rectification functionalities.

Findings

Chiral edge states enable directional heat flow control.

The system acts as an efficient heat-to-work converter.

Thermal rectification is achieved through gate-tuned constrictions.

Abstract

We investigate charge and energy transport in a three-terminal quantum Hall conductor. The peculiar properties of chiral propagation along the edges of the sample have important consequences on the response to thermal biases. Based on the separation of charge and heat flows, thermoelectric conversion and heat rectification can be manipulated by tuning the scattering at gate-modulated constrictions. Chiral motion in a magnetic field allows for a different behaviour of left- and right-moving carriers giving rise to thermal rectification by redirecting the heat flows. We propose our system both as an efficient heat-to-work converter and as a heat diode.