Non-Markovian memory effects have recently emerged as key factors in modeling realistic quantum thermal devices. In this work, we investigate the transient and steady-state performance of a qutrit-based quantum thermal diode model, extending the analysis beyond the commonly used weak system-environment coupling approximation, with a particular focus on how non-Markovianity influences its behavior. We employ a pseudomode-inspired auxiliary-qubit embedding combined with a Lindblad-type master equation to analyze the system, which offers an efficient framework for capturing memory effects. Numerical simulations show that moderate to strong system-bath interactions significantly modify the transient dynamics, where a selected-state BLP witness identifies information backflow. In these regimes, the state populations, coherences, and thermal flows exhibit more pronounced transient oscillations. Our results further reveal that both the steady-state thermal flows and the rectification factor are only weakly influenced by the system-environment coupling strength, indicating that non-Markovian memory effects do not play a dominant role in determining the steady-state performance in the present model. These findings highlight the importance of non-Markovian dynamics in controlling transient thermal transport, particularly in regimes where dynamical response and short-time behavior are critical, while demonstrating that steady-state rectification remains largely insensitive to memory effects in the present model.

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• Open quantum systems
• Open quantum systems & decoherence
• Quantum thermodynamics
• Lindblad equation
• Master equation
• Quantum master equation