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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 93 » Issue 18
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 184301 (2004) [4 pages]

Thermal Diode: Rectification of Heat Flux

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Baowen Li1, Lei Wang2, and Giulio Casati3,4,1
1Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Republic of Singapore
2Temasek Laboratories, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260, Republic of Singapore
3International Center for Nonlinear and Complex Systems, Universita’ degli studi dell’Insubria, Como, Italy
4Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unita’ di Como, Italyand Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sezione di Milano, Milano, Italy

Received 8 July 2004; published 27 October 2004

By coupling two nonlinear one dimensional lattices, we demonstrate a thermal diode model that works in a wide range of system parameters. We provide numerical and analytical evidence for the underlying mechanism which allows heat flux in one direction while the system acts like an insulator when the temperature gradient is reversed. The possible experimental realization in nanoscale systems is briefly discussed.

© 2004 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.184301
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.184301
PACS:
44.10.+i, 05.45.–a, 05.70.Ln, 66.70.+f
 
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