Low voltage–driven high-performance thermal switching in antiferroelectric PbZrO3 thin films

Editor’s summaryControlling thermal transport by switching devices is challenging because rapidly changing a material’s thermal properties is difficult. Liu et al. demonstrate that a thermal switch can be made from lead zirconium oxide controlled with a small voltage. The material can be changed from ferroelectric to antiferroelectric with an electric field that also dramatically changes the thermal properties. This switch changes the thermal transport by a factor of two in one direction, creating a useful thermal switch. —Brent Grocholski