Anisotropic response in metamaterials with elliptically perforated plates: Applications to near-field radiative heat transfer

Abstract

Metamaterials with tunable optical properties provide a versatile platform for controlling electromagnetic interactions at the nanoscale. This study explores the anisotropic thermal behavior of metamaterials composed of planar plates perforated with periodic arrays of cylinders possessing elliptical cross sections. In contrast to conventional circular perforations, elliptical geometries inherently break rotational symmetry, introducing anisotropy in the effective electromagnetic and thermal response of the structure. Using a fluctuation electrodynamics framework combined with full-wave numerical simulations, we quantify the near-field radiative heat transfer between such elliptically perforated plates as a function of ellipse orientation, aspect ratio, and separation distance. The results reveal that elliptical perforations enable enhanced spectral and directional control of evanescent mode coupling and surface polariton excitation, leading to significant modulation of the near-field heat flux. These findings highlight the potential of geometrically engineered anisotropy for advanced thermal management and energy conversion applications and offer new design strategies for the development of thermally functional metamaterials operating in the near-field regime.