Near-field heat transfer mediated by surface wave hybridization between two films

Using the general formalism of the fluctuational electrodynamics we extend the classical theory of near-field heat transfer between massive materials to any couple of films. An analytic expression for the net flux exchanged between two films in nonequilibrium thermal situation is derived. We show that the finite size effects and specifically hybridization of nondegenerated surface modes throughout the intrafilm cavity radically change the features of noncontact heat exchanges. This result should have important implications in the study of near-field heat transport between nanostructured materials. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3204481]