Nanoscale Thermal Switches

A nanoscale thermal switch can be built by employing nanoscale effects that arise when heat is transferred between a hot and cold nanoscale-thick membrane via thermal radiation. In comparison to the vast array of devices, such as transistors and diodes that are available to control the flow of electricity, there exist very few proposals for controlling the flow of heat, especially at the nanoscale. To overcome this challenge, researchers have been exploring nanoscale phenomena that may enable novel functional thermal devices.