Persistent Directional Current at Equilibrium in Nonreciprocal Many-Body Near Field Electromagnetic Heat Transfer

TL;DR

This paper reveals that nonreciprocal many-body systems can sustain persistent directional heat currents at equilibrium, opening new avenues for controlling nanoscale heat flow without violating thermodynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates that nonreciprocity enables persistent directional heat currents in many-body systems at equilibrium, a phenomenon not possible in reciprocal systems.

Findings

Persistent directional heat current exists at equilibrium in nonreciprocal systems.

Such currents are absent in reciprocal systems.

Nonreciprocity offers new control over nanoscale heat transfer.

Abstract

We consider the consequence of nonreciprocity in near-field heat transfer by studying systems consisting of magneto-optical nanoparticles.We demonstrate that, in thermal equilibrium, a nonreciprocal many-body system in heat transfer can support a persistent directional heat current, without violating the second law of thermodynamics. Such a persistent directional heat current cannot occur in reciprocal systems, and can only arise in many-body systems in heat transfer. The use of nonreciprocity therefore points to a new regime of near-field heat transfer for the control of heat flow in the nanoscale.