Work

Designing Strong and Broadband Nonreciprocal Thermal Radiation in Magnetic Topological Materials

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Breaking reciprocity in thermal radiation opens opportunities for energy harvesting, sensing, and thermal management. Traditional nonreciprocal radiative semiconductor devices need an external magnetic field. In this work, we predict a series of magnetic topological materials for magnetic-field-free nonreciprocal thermal radiation in the infrared regime by combining first-principles calculations with Maxwell electrodynamics. We find strong and broadband nonreciprocity in magnetic Weyl semimetals (e.g., Co3Sn2S2), outperforming conventional semiconductor InAs. Furthermore, we propose material design recipes. Strong nonreciprocity requires a large anomalous Hall response relative to the optical loss, whereas the broadband response favors a large optical loss and small dielectric dispersion. Our work establishes a predictive material discovery framework and quantitative design rules for next-generation magnet-free nonreciprocal thermal devices.

Source: Nano Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02897

Authors: Yiyang Jiang, Yufei Zhao, Linxiao Zhu, Binghai Yan

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, Weizmann Institute of Science

Language: English

Topic: Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,500