Multiple control of thermoelectric dual-function metamaterials

Abstract

Thermal metamaterials based on transformation theory offer a practical design for controlling heat flow by engineering spatial distributions of material parameters, implementing interesting functions such as cloaking, concentrating, and rotating. However, most existing designs are limited to serving a single target function within a given physical domain. Here, we analytically prove the form invariance of thermoelectric (TE) governing equations, ensuring precise controls of the thermal flux and electric current. Then, we propose a dual-function metamaterial that can concentrate (or cloak) and rotate the TE field simultaneously. In addition, we introduce two practical control methods to realize corresponding functions: one is a temperature-switching TE rotating concentrator cloak that can switch between cloaking and concentrating; the other is an electrically controlled TE rotating concentrator that can handle the temperature field precisely by adjusting external voltages. The theoretical predictions and finite-element simulations agree well with each other. This work provides a unified framework for manipulating the direction and density of the TE field simultaneously and may contribute to the study of thermal management, such as thermal rectification and thermal diodes.