Topological Materials for Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in using topological photonic materials to control near-field radiative heat transfer, highlighting their potential for nanoscale thermal management and energy applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of how topological effects in photonic materials influence near-field heat transfer, including new material structures and potential applications.

Findings

Topological materials can enhance near-field heat transfer beyond blackbody limits.

Surface states in topological materials enable control over thermal radiation.

Various topological structures impact heat flux in nanoscale systems.

Abstract

Topological materials provide a platform that utilizes the geometric characteristics of structured materials to control the flow of waves, enabling unidirectional and protected transmission that is immune to defects or impurities. The topologically designed photonic materials can carry quantum states and electromagnetic energy, benefiting nanolasers or quantum photonic systems. This article reviews recent advances in the topological applications of photonic materials for radiative heat transfer, especially in the near field. When the separation distance between media is considerably smaller than the thermal wavelength, the heat transfer exhibits super-Planckian behavior that surpasses Planck's blackbody predictions. Near-field thermal radiation in subwavelength systems supporting surface modes has various applications, including nanoscale thermal management and energy conversion. Photonic materials and structures that support topological surface states show immense potential for enhancing or suppressing near-field thermal radiation. We present various topological effects, such as periodic and quasi-periodic nanoparticle arrays, Dirac and Weyl semimetal-based materials, structures with broken global symmetries, and other topological insulators, on near-field heat transfer. Also, the possibility of realizing near-field thermal radiation in such topological materials for alternative thermal management and heat flux guiding in nano-scale systems is discussed based on the existing technology.