title: Maximal rectification ratios for idealized bi-segment thermal rectifiers.
abstract: Thermal rectifiers whose forward heat fluxes are greater than reverse counterparts have been extensively studied. Here we have discovered, idealized, and derived the ultimate limit of such rectification ratios, which are partially validated by numerical simulations, experiments, and micro-scale Hamiltonian-oscillator analyses. For rectifiers whose thermal conductivities (κ) are linear with the temperature, this limit is simply a numerical value of 3. For those whose conductivities are nonlinear with temperatures, the maxima equal κmax/κmin, where two extremes denote values of the solid segment materials that can be possibly found or fabricated within a reasonable temperature range. Recommendations for manufacturing high-ratio rectifiers are also given with examples. Under idealized assumptions, these proposed rectification limits cannot be defied by any bi-segment thermal rectifiers.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China 361005 [2] Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Tien-Mo
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China 361005.
authors.forename: Zhaojing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Engineering Research Center for Solid-state Lighting, State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China 361005.
authors.forename: Ziquan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China 361005 [2] Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merlitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pagni
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Engineering Research Center for Solid-state Lighting, State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China 361005.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen