Ohio State researchers have shown how a common ceramic material can change its thermal conductivity in response to an electrical field, opening the door to solid-state heat switches that could make thermoelectric generators much more efficient.
Experimental measurements of a quasiparticle called a ferron indicate that ferrons could be used to turn ferroelectric materials into thermal switches, devices that can be used to control heat flow in engines.
Scientists have found the secret behind a property of solid materials known as ferroelectrics, showing that quasiparticles moving in wave-like patterns among vibrating atoms carry enough heat to turn the material into a thermal switch when an electrical field is applied externally.