Nanoscale heat flux between anisotropic uniaxial media

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of near-field heat transfer between two anisotropic materials separated by a small vacuum gap and maintained in a stationary non-equilibrium thermal situation. By combining standard stochastic electrodynamics and the Maxwell-Garnett description for effective media, we show that heat flux can be significantly enhanced by air inclusions. This result is explained by : (a) the presence of extraordinary surface waves that give rise to supplementary channels for heat transfer throughout the gap, (b) an increase in the contribution given by the ordinary surface waves at resonance, (c) and the appearance of frustrated modes over a broad spectral range.