Manipulating thermoelectric fields with bilayer schemes beyond Laplacian metamaterials
Teng Qu, Jun Wang, Jiping Huang
Abstract
Manipulating multiphysical fields with metamaterials has received enormous attention recently because of the high functional integration and extensive practical applicability. However, coupled multi-field systems such as thermoelectric fields, where heat and electric fluxes are coupled via the Seebeck coefficients, still lack efficient control with artificial structures. Here, we theoretically design a category of bilayer thermoelectric metamaterials based on the generalized scattering-cancellation method. By solving the governing equations directly, we formulate the specific parameter requirements for the desired functionalities beyond existing single-field or decoupled multi-field Laplacian metamaterials. Compared with the recently reported transformation optics for thermoelectric flows, bilayer schemes do not require inhomogeneity and anisotropy in constitutive materials. Finite-element simulations confirm the analytical results and show robustness under various exterior conditions. A feasible experimental design with naturally occuring materials is also proposed for further proof-of-principle verification. Our theoretical method and device design may be extended to other coupled multiphysical systems such as thermo-optics, thermomagnetics, optomechanics, etc.