Surface-Plasmon-Polariton-mediated heat transfer and thermoelectric energy generation.

(a) Heat transfer between hot and cold plates is mediated by both propagating waves and evanescently-coupled SPP modes. (b) The SPP-enhanced heat flux between surfaces of various plasmonic materials including gold (Au), doped silicon (n-Si), and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO). (c-d) Schematics of the coupled-SPP non-equilibrium thermoelectric devices: (c) a power generator, and (d) a refrigerator. Figure 5 of "Plasmonic materials for energy: from physics to applications," Svetlana V. Boriskina, Hadi Ghasemi, Gang Chen, Materials Today, 10/2013; 16:379-390. DOI:10.1016/j.mattod.2013.09.003