Surface-mode-assisted amplification of radiative heat transfer between nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that placing nanoparticles near a surface supporting a resonance can greatly enhance radiative heat transfer, with effects modifiable by surface modifications like graphene, impacting nanoparticle thermal dynamics.

Contribution

It reveals how surface resonances can amplify heat transfer between nanoparticles and how graphene modifies this effect, extending the understanding of nanoscale thermal management.

Findings

Amplification exceeds two orders of magnitude for dielectric nanoparticles.

Metallic nanoparticles show lower amplification unless modified by graphene.

Surface resonance signatures are key to the heat transfer enhancement.

Abstract

We show that the radiative heat flux between two nanoparticles can be significantly amplified when they are placed in proximity of a planar substrate supporting a surface resonance. The amplification factor goes beyond two orders of magnitude in the case of dielectric nanoparticles, whereas it is lower in the case of metallic nanoparticles. We analyze how this effect depends on the frequency and on the particles-surface distance, by clearly identifying the signature of the surface mode producing the amplification. Finally, we show how the presence of a graphene sheet on top of the substrate can modify the effect, by making an amplification of two orders of magnitude possible also in the case of metallic nanoparticles. This long range amplification effect should play an important role in the thermal relaxation dynamics of nanoparticle networks.