Modulating near-field radiative energy and momentum transfer via rotating Weyl semimetals

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the near-field transfer of energy and momentum between a nanoparticle and a Weyl semimetal plate can be actively controlled by adjusting the relative orientation of the Weyl nodes, revealing counterintuitive maximization conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to tune near-field radiative transfer using rotating Weyl semimetals and uncovers novel maximization regimes based on Weyl node orientation.

Findings

Transfer can be tuned by the relative angle of Weyl nodes.

Maximum transfer occurs when Weyl nodes are antiparallel.

Coupling between rotational Poynting vector and surface plasmons is key.

Abstract

We study near-field radiative transfer of energy, angular momentum, and linear momentum between a nanoparticle and a plate consisting of magnetic Weyl semimetals, and demonstrate that these can be efficiently tuned by a relative angle between the Weyl node separations. This tunability originates from the coupling between the particle-induced rotational Poynting vector and the nonreciprocal surface plasmon polaritons supported by the plate. Remarkably, we uncover a counterintuitive regime in which both energy and angular momentum transfer are maximized when the Weyl node separations are antiparallel rather than parallel. This arises from optimal mode matching between the rotation direction of the particle's circular heat flux and the propagation direction of the surface plasmon polaritons in the antiparallel configuration.