A normal metal tunnel-junction heat diode
- NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR and Scuola Normale Superiore, I-56127 Pisa (Italy)
We propose a low-temperature thermal rectifier consisting of a chain of three tunnel-coupled normal metal electrodes. We show that a large heat rectification is achievable if the thermal symmetry of the structure is broken and the central island can release energy to the phonon bath. The performance of the device is theoretically analyzed and, under the appropriate conditions, temperature differences up to ∼200 mK between the forward and reverse thermal bias configurations are obtained below 1 K, corresponding to a rectification ratio R∼2000. The simplicity intrinsic to its design joined with the insensitivity to magnetic fields make our device potentially attractive as a fundamental building block in solid-state thermal nanocircuits and in general-purpose cryogenic electronic applications requiring energy management.
- OSTI ID:
- 22269181
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 18; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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