Nature Communications (Jan 2022)

Reciprocity of thermal diffusion in time-modulated systems

  • Jiaxin Li,
  • Ying Li,
  • Pei-Chao Cao,
  • Minghong Qi,
  • Xu Zheng,
  • Yu-Gui Peng,
  • Baowen Li,
  • Xue-Feng Zhu,
  • Andrea Alù,
  • Hongsheng Chen,
  • Cheng-Wei Qiu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27903-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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The use of time modulation to break reciprocity is well understood for light, sound or charge diffusion, but it’s unclear whether it can work for thermal diffusion. Here, the authors answer in the negative by analysing diffusive processes under time modulation, and giving numerical and experimental evidence.