Ultralow radiative heat flux by Anderson localization in quasiperiodic plasmonic chains

Anderson localization, arising from wave interference in disordered systems, profoundly hinders energy transport, yet its impact on radiative heat flux in many-body thermophotonic systems remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate a three-order-of-magnitude suppression of radiative heat transfer, resulting in ultralow radiative heat transfer, in a one-dimensional quasiperiodic chain of plasmonic nanoparticles. This suppression in radiative heat transfer is directly correlated with mode localization, as revealed by the mode decomposition of the transmission coefficient, which serves as evidence of Anderson localization. Furthermore, we elucidate the dependence of radiative thermal conductance reduction on interparticle spacing and material damping rates, uncovering the interplay between intrinsic Ohmic losses, mode localization, and long-range many-body interactions. Our findings advance the understanding of wave-mediated thermal transport in disordered photonic structures and suggest strategies for tailoring nanoscale heat management via engineered disorder.

💡 Research Summary

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This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical study of how Anderson localization—originating from wave interference in disordered systems—affects radiative heat transfer in many‑body thermophotonic structures. The authors focus on a one‑dimensional quasiperiodic chain of identical indium antimonide (InSb) nanoparticles, whose inter‑particle spacings follow an Aubry‑André‑Harper (AAH) modulation: (d_n = d