Electrocaloric devices based on thin-film heat switches

We describe a new approach to refrigeration, heat pumping, and electrical generation that allows one to exploit the attractive properties of thin films of electrocaloric materials. Layers of electrocaloric material coupled with thin-film heat switches can work as either refrigerators and heat pumps or electrical generators, depending on the phasing of the applied voltages and heat switching. With heat switches based on thin layers of liquid crystals, the efficiency of electrocaloric thin-film devices can be at least as high as that of current thermoelectric devices. Advanced heat switches that may use carbon nanotubes would enable thin-film refrigerators and generators to outperform conventional vapor-compression devices.