Rectification of evanescent heat transfer between dielectric-coated and uncoated silicon carbide plates

Here, we show analytically that the thermal rectification via evanescent waves is obtained in the parallel semi-infinite bodies of the dielectric-coated silicon carbide and uncoated silicon carbide. The permittivity and the thickness of the dielectric coating are derived for maximizing the thermal rectification. In the nonequilibrium situation holding temperatures of 500 K for one body and 300 K for the other, either a coating with a high permittivity of 14 and a thickness of 1 nm or a coating with a low permittivity of 2 and a thickness exceeding 10 nm, results in rectifying coefficients of 0.4 to 0.44. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4737465]