We’re all familiar with semiconductor diodes, whose function is to allow electricity to easily flow in one direction and impede its progress in the other. A thermal diode performs a similar gating function, only with heat energy instead of electrical energy. Up until now, this function has only been demonstrated in cold temperatures and at room temperatures. A team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, headlined by assistant professor Sidy Ndao and graduate student Mahmoud Elzouka, has come up with a device that can operate at temperatures as high as 600 K (620°F). Read more...

Refernece: Electronic Product Magazine
                   Gary Elinoff