arXiv subjects

Hong-Liang Yi

Publications and source records attributed to Hong-Liang Yi.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Anomalous enhancement of thermal radiation transport by quasidisorder

The transition from order to disorder is conventionally regarded as detrimental to solid-state heat transfer in classical wave and quasiparticle systems. In striking contrast, we show that in near-field thermal radiation, breaking long-range order-shifting from periodic to quasiperiodic configurations-induces a counterintuitive enhancement of energy transport. This effect arises from delocalized interactions within quasiperiodic elements, where this quasiperiodicity relays and amplifies thermal electromagnetic energy transfer across large spatial separations, surpassing even corresponding near-field scenarios. The extraordinary transport properties induced by quasidisorder effect of near-field thermal radiation could unlock exciting opportunities for heat flow manipulation, offering transformative implications for thermal science and advancing the fundamental understanding of collective excitations in non-ordered systems.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2026

Dynamic charges effect on infrared dielectric response of polar materials

Predictive modeling of the infrared dielectric function in polar materials is crucial for thermal management and infrared devices design. While the Green-Kubo molecular dynamics (MD) framework provides a nonperturbative route to compute dielectric responses from dipole fluctuations, yet it commonly relies on the fixed-charge approximation that neglects dynamic charge redistribution during atomic motion. Here, we employ a machine-learning neuroevolution potential with dynamic charges (qNEP) combined with Green-Kubo MD to investigate the dynamic charge effect on the infrared dielectric response of rutile TiO$_2$, a material with large Born effective charges (BEC). Our results show that dynamic charge effects become increasingly important at elevated temperatures and are essential for accurately predicting longitudinal optical phonon features and infrared reflectance. This work establishes that accurate prediction of infrared optical properties in polar materials under thermal excitation requires explicit treatment of dynamic charge evolution.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Crystal Orientation Dependence of Extreme Near-Field Heat Transfer between Polar Materials Governed by Surface Phonon Modes

Due to the rapid development of micro- and nano-manufacturing and electronic devices, heat transfer at the transition regime between radiation and conduction becomes increasingly important. Recent work has demonstrated the importance of nonlocal optical response and phonon tunneling. However, it remains unclear how the crystal orientation impacts them. In this work, we study this effect on heat transport across vacuum gaps between magnesium oxide (MgO) by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulation. At 5~Å~gaps, the overall thermal conductance exhibits 30\% enhancement for [100] orientation versus [110] and [210], while becoming orientation-insensitive beyond 6~Å. When the gap size is extremely small, the crystal orientation significantly impacts the resonance frequencies of spectral thermal conductance which are quite close to those of unique surface phonon modes distinct from bulk counterparts. As the gap size gradually increases, the spectral thermal conductance gradually converges to the predicted results of fluctuation-electrodynamics (FE) theory in the long-wavelength approximation. Our findings reveal how surface phonon modes govern extreme near-field heat transfer across nanogap, providing insights for thermal management in electronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Consistency between the Green-Kubo formula and Lorentz model for predicting the infrared dielectric function of polar materials

Accurate prediction of infrared dielectric functions in polar materials is fundamental for thermal and photonic applications, yet it remains unexplored whether the two main methods, Green-Kubo formula and Lorentz model, can give unified predictions. In this work, we present a detailed comparison of these two approaches using MgO and LiH as prototypical cases employing both empirical rigid ion model (RIM) and machine learning potential (MLP). We demonstrate that the conventional Lorentz model fails to capture the multi-phonon absorption inherent in Green-Kubo method, which can be resolved via using the phonon self-energy as a generalization of the usual linewidth. In addition, with RIM, a correction factor is required in the ionic contribution to infrared response to account for the electronic polarization effect, which is yet captured by MLP using the Born effective charges for calculating dipole moment. The present benchmark study thus enables cross-validation of dielectric function calculations while providing mechanistic insights into the polarization dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Twist-induced near-field radiative thermal regulator assisted by cylindrical surface modes

Near-field radiative heat transfer (RHT) can surpass Planck's blackbody limit by several orders of magnitude due to the tunneling effect of thermal photons. The ability to understand and regulate RHT is of great significance in contactless energy transfer. In this work, we construct a rotating system with a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) cylinder for actively regulating the RHT between two nanoparticles (NPs). The results show that when the two NPs are located directly above the cylinder, energy can be directionally transmitted along the cylindrical channel in the form of low-loss surface waves, which can significantly enhance RHT. In addition, we find that the RHT can be regulated by actively manipulating the excitation of cylindrical surface modes. When the rotation point is located in the middle of the line connecting the two NPs, the modulation contrast approaches five orders of magnitude, higher than that of cylinders made of other materials under the same conditions. When its diameter is slightly less than the distance between NPs, the h-BN cylinder shows excellent tunability in the heat exchange. The present work may offer a theoretical possibility for actively regulating and controlling near-field RHT between arbitrary objects based on cylindrical waveguides.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Reflectors Tune Near-Field Thermal Transport

We explore near-field thermal radiation transport in nanoparticles embedded within a multilayer slab structure, focusing on dynamic modulation of heat flux via cavity interactions. Our findings reveal that by tuning the distance between reflectors and nanoparticles, thermal transport can be significantly suppressed or enhanced, driven by selective excitation of surface modes within the cavity. By precisely adjusting inter-slab gaps, we achieve multi-order control over thermal flux while maintaining stability across a broad range of configurations. Notably, internal slab arrangement plays a pivotal role, with compact designs yielding the most pronounced effects. This work unveils a novel mechanism for manipulating near-field heat transfer, with exciting potential for nanoscale thermal management and thermal sensing technologies.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Unconventional Thermophotonic Charge Density Wave

Charge-order states of broken symmetry, such as charge density wave (CDW), are able to induce exceptional physical properties, however, the precise understanding of the underlying physics is still elusive. Here, we combine fluctuational electrodynamics and density functional theory to reveal an unconventional thermophotonic effect in CDW-bearing TiSe$_2$, referred to as thermophotonic-CDW ($tp$-CDW). The interplay of plasmon polariton and CDW electron excitations give rise to an anomalous negative temperature dependency in thermal photons transport, offering an intuitive fingerprint for a transformation of the electron order. Additionally, the demonstrated nontrivial features of $tp$-CDW transition hold promise for a controllable manipulation of heat flow, which could be extensively utilized in various fields such as thermal science and electron dynamics, as well as in next-generation energy devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Gain-loss-engineering: a new platform for extreme anisotropic thermal photon tunneling

We explore a novel approach to achieving anisotropic thermal photon tunneling, inspired by the concept of parity-time symmetry in quantum physics. Our method leverages the modulation of constitutive optical parameters, oscillating between loss and gain regimes. This modulation reveals a variety of distinct effects in thermal photon behavior and dispersion. Specifically, we identify complex tunneling modes through gain-loss engineering, which include thermal photonic defect states and Fermi-arc-like phenomena, which surpass those achievable through traditional polariton engineering. Our research also elucidates the laws governing the evolution of radiative energy in the presence of gain and loss interactions, and highlights the unexpected inefficacy of gain in enhancing thermal photon energy transport compared to systems characterized solely by loss. This study not only broadens our understanding of thermal photon tunneling but also establishes a versatile platform for manipulating photon energy transport, with potential applications in thermal management, heat science, and the development of advanced energy devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic field control of the near-field radiative heat transfer in three-body planar systems

Recently, the application of an external magnetic field to actively control the near-field heat transfer has emerged as an appealing and promising technique. Existing studies have shown that an external static magnetic field tends to reduce the subwavelength radiative flux exchanged between two planar structures containing magneto-optical (MO) materials, but so far the nearfield thermomagnetic effects in systems with more such structures at different temperatures have not been reported. Here, we are focused on examining how the presence of an external magnetic field modifies the radiative energy transfer in a many-body configuration consisting of three MO n-doped semiconductors slabs, separated by subwavelength vacuum gaps. To exactly calculate the radiative flux transferred in such an anisotropic planar system, a general Green-function-based approach is offered, which allows one to investigate the radiative heat transfer in arbitrary manybody systems with planar geometry. We demonstrate that, under specific choices of the geometrical and thermal parameters, the applied magnetic field is able to either reduce or enhance the near-field energy transfer in three-element MO planar systems, depending on the interplay between the damped evanescent fields of the zero-field surface waves and the propagating hyperbolic modes induced by magnetic fields. Our study broadens the understanding concerning to the use of external fields to actively control the heat transfer in subwavelength regimes, and may be leveraged for potential applications in the realm of nanoscale thermal management.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer between Drift-biased Graphene through Nonreciprocal Surface Plasmons

In this Rapid Communication, we theoretically demonstrate that near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) can be modulated and enhanced by a new energy transmission mode of evanescent wave, i.e. the nonreciprocal surface plasmons polaritons (NSPPs). In addition to the well-known coupled surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), applying a drift current on a graphene sheet leads to an extremely asymmetric photonic transmission model, which has never been noted in the noncontact heat exchanges at nanoscale before. The coupling of plasmons in the infrared bands dominates the NFRHT, associated with low loss (high loss and ultrahigh confinement) traveling along (against) the current. The dependence of NSPPs on the drift-current velocity as well as the vacuum gap is analyzed. It is found that the coupling of NSPPs at smaller and larger gap sizes exhibits different nonreciprocities. Finally, we also demonstrate that the prominent influence of the drift current on the radiative heat flux is found at a low chemical potential. These findings will open a new way to spectrally control NFRHT, which holds great potential for improving the performance of energy systems like near-field thermophotovoltaics and thermal modulator.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Radiative Thermal Diode Mediated by Nonreciprocal Graphene Plasmons Waveguides

A thermal diode based on the asymmetric radiative heat transfer between nanoparticles assisted by the nonreciprocal graphene plasmons waveguides is proposed in this work. The thermal diode system consists of two particles and a drift-biased suspended graphene sheet in close proximity of them. Nonreciprocal graphene plasmons are induced by the drift currents in the graphene sheet, and then couple to the waves emitted by the particles in near-field regime. Based on the asymmetry with respect to their propagation direction of graphene plasmons, the thermal rectification between the two particles is observed. The performance of the radiative thermal diode can be actively adjusted through tuning the chemical potential or changing the drift currents in the graphene sheet. With a large drift velocity and a small chemical potential, a perfect radiative thermal diode with a rectification coefficient extremely approaching to 1 can be achieved within a wide range of the interparticle distance from near to far-field. The dispersion relations of the graphene plasmons are adopted to analyze the underlying physics of the rectification effect. In addition, due to the wide band characteristic of the nonreciprocal graphene plasmons, the driftbiased graphene can act as a universal platform for the thermal rectification between particles. The particles with a larger particle resonance frequency are much more preferred to produce a better thermal diode. This technology could find broad applications in the field of thermal management at nanoscale

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Direct simulation of second sound in graphene by solving the phonon Boltzmann equation via a multiscale scheme

The direct simulation of the dynamics of second sound in graphitic materials remains a challenging task due to lack of methodology for solving the phonon Boltzmann equation in such a stiff hydrodynamic regime. In this work, we aim to tackle this challenge by developing a multiscale numerical scheme for the transient phonon Boltzmann equation under Callaway's dual relaxation model which captures well the collective phonon kinetics. Comparing to traditional numerical methods, the present multiscale scheme is efficient, accurate and stable in all transport regimes attributed to avoiding the use of time and spatial steps smaller than the relaxation time and mean free path of phonons. The formation, propagation and composition of ballistic pulses and second sound in graphene ribbon in two classical paradigms for experimental detection are investigated via the multiscale scheme. The second sound is declared to be mainly contributed by ZA phonon modes, whereas the ballistic pulses are mainly contributed by LA and TA phonon modes. The influence of temperature, isotope abundance and ribbon size on the second sound propagation is also explored. The speed of second sound in the observation window is found to be at most 20 percentages smaller than the theoretical value in hydrodynamic limit due to the finite umklapp, isotope and edge resistive scattering. The present study will contribute to not only the solution methodology of phonon Boltzmann equation, but also the physics of transient hydrodynamic phonon transport as guidance for future experimental detection.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2019

Giant resonant radiative heat transfer between nanoparticles

We show that periodic multilayered structures allow to drastically enhance near-field radiative heat transfer between nanoparticles. In particular, when the two nanoparticles are placed on each side of the multilayered structure, at the same interparticle distance the resulting heat transfer is more than five orders of magnitude higher than that in the absence of the multilayered structure. This enhancement takes place in a broad range of distances and is due to the fact that the intermediate multilayered structure supports hyperbolic phonon polaritons with the key feature that the edge frequencies of the Type I and Type II Reststrahlen bands coincide with each other at a value extremely close to the particle resonance. This allow a very high-k evanescent modes resonating with the nanoparticles. Our predictions can be relevant for effective managing of energy at the nano-scale.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Metasurface-mediated anisotropic radiative heat transfer between nanoparticles

Metasurfaces, the two-dimensional (2D) counterpart of metamaterials, have recently attracted a great attention due to their amazing properties such as negative refraction, hyperbolic dispersion, manipulation of the evanescent spectrum. In this work, we propose a theory model for the near field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) between two nanoparticles in the presence of an anisotropic metasurface. Specifically, we set the metasurface as an array of graphene strips (GS) since it is an ideal platform to implement any metasurface topology, ranging from isotropic to hyperbolic propagation. We show that the NFRHT between two nanoparticles can not only be significantly amplified when they are placed in proximity of the GS, but also be regulated over several orders of magnitude. In this configuration, the anisotropic surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) supported by the GS are excited and provide a new channel for the near-field energy transport. We analyze how the conductance between two nanoparticles depends on the orientation, the structure parameters and the chemical potential of the GS, on the particle-surface or the particle-surface distances by clearly identifying the characteristics of the anisotropic SPPs such as dispersion relations, propagation length and decay length. Our findings provide a powerful way to regulate the energy transport in the particle systems, meanwhile in turn, open up a way to explore the anisotropic optical properties of the metasurface based on the measured heat transfer properties.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗