Bragg Mirrors for Thermal Waves

We present a numerical calculation of the heat transport in a Bragg mirror configuration made of materials that do not obey Fourier's law of heat conduction. The Bragg mirror is made of materials that are described by the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation. By analyzing the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation's solutions, we define the thermal wave surface impedance to design highly reflective thermal Bragg mirrors. Even for mirrors with a few layers, very high reflectance is achieved (>90%). The Bragg mirror configuration is also a system that makes evident the wave-like nature of the solution of the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation by showing frequency pass-bands that are absent if the materials obey the usual Fourier's law.

Automated summary

This study presents a numerical calculation of heat transport in a Bragg mirror configuration using materials that do not follow Fourier's law, showcasing the use of the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation to define thermal wave surface impedance and design highly reflective Bragg mirrors. The results demonstrate that even with a few layers, these mirrors can achieve reflectance levels exceeding 90%, and the configuration highlights the wave-like nature of the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation solutions by displaying frequency pass-bands absent in materials obeying Fourier's law.