Photonic crystals have mainly been investigated for their optical effects. However, Professor Dr Markus Retsch said his team has developed four ways to control temperature dependent heat transfer in such crystals. “The findings demonstrate that it is possible, in principle, to regulate thermal conductivity in nanostructured materials with a high degree of precision,” said Prof Retsch. “In the long term, these concepts could be valuable for the development of thermal transistors or diodes.”
Temperature dependent conductivity
A research group at the University of Bayreuth has controlled temperature dependent thermal conductivity with the help of photonic crystals. The findings are likely to lead to new thermal insulation concepts.
