2006/08/25 by Michel Peyrard · 2 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Heat Transfer and Optimization #Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #physics.class-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1209/epl/i2006-10223-5
published as Europhysics Letters, published online 25 August 2006
arxiv created 2006/08/25 · openalex publication_date 2006/08/25 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The idea that one can build a solid-state device that lets heat flow more easily in one way than in the other, forming a heat valve, is counter-intuitive. However, the design of a thermal rectifier can be easily understood from the basic laws of heat conduction. Here we show how it can be done. This analysis exhibits several ideas that could in principle be implemented to design a thermal rectifier, by selecting materials with the proper properties. In order to show the feasibility of the concept, we complete this study by introducing a simple model system that meets the requirements of the design.