Giant thermal modulation via a semiconductor-superconductor photonic field-effect heat transistor

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel semiconductor-superconductor device that achieves significant, gate-tunable thermal modulation via radiative heat transfer, with potential applications in quantum technology and thermal management.

Contribution

It introduces a superconducting Josephson field-effect transistor-based system capable of nonlocal, magnetic-field-free control of heat flow with unprecedented temperature modulation.

Findings

Achieved up to 45 mK temperature modulation

Demonstrated thermal transimpedance of 20 mK/V

Enabled nonlocal heat flow control in quantum devices

Abstract

We present a groundbreaking demonstration of thermal modulation in a field-effect-controllable semiconductor-superconductor hybrid structure, wherein the heating mechanism is exclusively radiative. The architecture comprises two reservoirs separated by $\sim 1$ mm and interconnected via a completely non-galvanic electrical circuit, enabling the transfer of black-body radiation from the hot to the cold reservoir. Our device utilizes a superconducting Josephson field-effect transistor to achieve magnetic-field-free gate-tunable regulation of heat currents within the circuit. While prior studies have indicated the potential for electrostatic modulation of thermal transport properties, our framework demonstrates a temperature modulation of up to $\sim 45$ mK, exceeding prior findings by more than an order of magnitude. Furthermore, it proves a thermal transimpedance of $\sim 20$ mK/V at a bath temperature of $30$ mK. The development of such systems holds substantial promise for advancing heat management and routing in quantum chips and radiation sensors, as it enables precise nonlocal control of heat flow towards a designated structure, even when the heat source is distant and non-galvanically coupled.