Dynamic control of heat flow using a spin-chain ladder cuprate film and an ionic liquid

Dynamic control of heat flow for applications in thermal management has attracted much interest in fields such as electronics and thermal engineering. Spin-chain ladder cuprates are promising materials to realize dynamic control of heat flow, since their magnon thermal conductivity is sensitive to the hole density in the spin ladders, which can be dynamically controlled by an external field. Here, we demonstrate the electric control of heat flow using a polycrystalline cuprate film and an ionic liquid. The results showed that a voltage application to the interface causes imperfectly recoverable decreases in both the thermal conductance of the film and the peak due to magnons in the Raman spectra. This result may be attributed to an increase in the hole density in the spin ladders. This report highlights that magnon thermal conduction has potential for the development of advanced thermal management applications.