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Researchers break a fundamental rule to create a new concept: Heat that can be directed and 'programmed'
Phys.org • • technology
Key Points:
- Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University developed a device combining magneto-optical and phase-change materials to independently control heat absorption and emission, breaking the traditional reciprocity limitation.
- This device can steer thermal energy by absorbing heat from one direction while emitting it in another, enabling more efficient thermal management, energy conversion, infrared sensing, and thermal communication.
- The device’s heat radiation behavior can be switched on and off and retains its programmed state without power, functioning like data stored in a microchip.
- Unlike previous technologies, this device performs effectively even when light arrives near-normal angles, improving absorption and emission efficiency.
- This breakthrough paves the way for programmable thermal devices with applications in infrared emitters, thermal-energy systems, sensors, and photonic memory technologies.
