Control of the Radiative Heat Transfer in a Pair of Rotating Nanostructures

The fluctuations of the electromagnetic field are at the origin of the near-field radiative heat transfer between nanostructures, as well as the Casimir forces and torques that they exert on each other. Here, working within the formalism of fluctuational electrodynamics, we investigate the simultaneous transfer of energy and angular momentum in a pair of rotating nanostructures. We demonstrate that, due to the rotation of the nanostructures, the radiative heat transfer between them can be increased, decreased, or even reversed with respect to the transfer that occurs in the absence of rotation, which is solely determined by the difference in the temperature of the nanostructures. This work unravels the unintuitive phenomena arising from the simultaneous transfer of energy and angular momentum in pairs of rotating nanostructures.

Automated summary

Within the framework of fluctuational electrodynamics, this study investigates the simultaneous transfer of energy and angular momentum in a pair of rotating nanostructures. The results demonstrate that the radiative heat transfer between the nanostructures can be influenced by their rotation, leading to an increase, decrease, or even reversal of the transfer compared to non-rotating conditions. This work uncovers the counterintuitive phenomena resulting from the simultaneous transfer of energy and angular momentum in rotating nanostructures.