Ultralow radiative heat flux by Anderson localization in quasiperiodic plasmonic chains

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that Anderson localization in quasiperiodic plasmonic chains can suppress radiative heat flux by three orders of magnitude, revealing new insights into wave-mediated thermal transport in disordered nanostructures.

Contribution

It provides the first direct evidence linking mode localization due to Anderson localization with ultralow radiative heat transfer in plasmonic chains.

Findings

Radiative heat transfer is suppressed by three orders of magnitude.

Mode localization correlates with reduced thermal conductance.

Interparticle spacing and damping influence heat transfer suppression.

Abstract

Anderson localization, arising from wave interference in disordered systems, profoundly hinders energy transport, yet its impact on radiative heat flux in many-body thermophotonic systems remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate a three-order-of-magnitude suppression of radiative heat transfer, resulting in ultralow radiative heat transfer, in a one-dimensional quasiperiodic chain of plasmonic nanoparticles. This suppression in radiative heat transfer is directly correlated with mode localization, as revealed by the mode decomposition of the transmission coefficient, which serves as evidence of Anderson localization. Furthermore, we elucidate the dependence of radiative thermal conductance reduction on interparticle spacing and material damping rates, uncovering the interplay between intrinsic Ohmic losses, mode localization, and long-range many-body interactions. Our findings advance the understanding of wave-mediated thermal transport in disordered photonic structures and suggest strategies for tailoring nanoscale heat management via engineered disorder.