Thermal diode: Rectification of heat flux

Abstract

A thermal diode model that works in a wide range of system parameters was demonstrated by coupling two nonlinear one dimensional lattices. A numerical and anlytical evidence for the mechanism which allows heat flux in one direction while the system acts like an insulator when the temperature gradient was reversed was also provided. The study of possible experimental realization in nanoscale systems was briefly discussed. It was shown that in the high temperature limit the on-site potential can be neglected and the system was close to 2 coupled harmonic chains.