Multi-tip near-field scanning thermal microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a theoretical framework for multi-tip near-field scanning thermal microscopy, enabling focused, amplified, and localized heat transfer at the nanoscale with potential applications in thermal management and imaging.

Contribution

It presents a novel theory for interacting nanoemitters that allows for controlled heat focusing and amplification, advancing near-field thermal microscopy techniques.

Findings

Thermal energy can be focused and amplified in sub-wavelength spots.

Localized heat pumping is achievable with specific geometries.

Multi-tip configurations enable new nanoscale thermal imaging capabilities.

Abstract

A theory is presented to describe the heat-flux radiated in near-field regime by a set of interacting nanoemitters held at different temperatures in vacuum or above a solid surface. We show that this thermal energy can be focused and even amplified in spots that are much smaller than those obtained with a single thermal source. We also demonstrate the possibility to locally pump heat using specific geometrical configurations. These many body effects pave the way to a multi-tip near-field scanning thermal microscopy which could find broad applications in the fields of nanoscale thermal management, heat-assisted data recording, nanoscale thermal imaging, heat capacity measurements and infrared spectroscopy of nano-objects.