# Radiative thermal diode driven by non-reciprocal surface waves

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a nanoscale radiative thermal diode that uses non-reciprocal surface waves on a magneto-optical substrate to achieve significant heat flux rectification, enabling the design of effective thermal diodes.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel method to rectify nanoscale heat flux using non-reciprocal surface modes, advancing thermal diode technology.

## Key findings

- Rectification coefficient can reach large values.
- Surface waves enable heat flux control.
- Potential for designing true thermal diodes.

## Abstract

We demonstrate the possibility to rectify the nanoscale radiative heat flux between two nanoparticles by coupling them with the nonreciprocal surface modes of a magneto-optical substrate in a Voigt configuration. When the non-reciprocal medium supports a surface wave in the spectral window where heat exchanges take place the rectification coefficient can reach large values opening so the way to the design of true thermal diodes.