Near-field thermal switching via nonreciprocal twisted axion plasmons
Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 024063 – Published 20 February, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6fnz-xr63
Abstract
Owing to the excitation of nonreciprocal surface plasmon polaritons, Weyl semimetals have attracted much attention in the study of near-field radiative heat transfer. Here, we find a large twisted switch ratio at a high (low) heat flux intensity range with an aligned (parallel) axion-field configuration. The heat flux can be modulated over a wide range, spanning several orders of magnitude, and the switching effect is attributed to the strong nonreciprocity of the surface plasmon polaritons in Weyl semimetal layers. In addition, the thickness variation of the Weyl semimetal layers results in diverse change behaviors of the total heat flux, owing to the band overlap of the surface mode. Our research provides a critical understanding of heat transfer for different twisting types and thickness adjustment.
