Each of first and second beams has a connection portion connected to a base substrate and a separated portion away from the base substrate, and is physically joined to an infrared receiver at the separated portion. The infrared receiver is supported by the first and second beams, and includes lower electrode, upper electrode, and a resistance change film. The resistance change film is sandwiched by the lower electrode and upper electrode in a thickness direction, each of the lower and upper electrodes is electrically connected to the resistance change film, the lower and upper electrodes are electrically connected to first wiring and second wiring, respectively, at least one electrode selected from the lower electrode and the upper electrode has a line-and-space structure, and an infrared reflection film is provided at a position on a surface of the base substrate facing the infrared receiver.

A thermal diode includes: a dielectric enclosure having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side; a first Weyl semimetal nanoparticle disposed on the first side; a second Weyl semimetal nanoparticle disposed on the second side; a nanograting disposed on the bottom surface; and a voltage source configured to provide a voltage bias to the nanograting to suppress surface waves from the first Weyl semimetal nanoparticle to the second Weyl semimetal nanoparticle and to modify surface waves from the second Weyl semimetal nanoparticle to the first Weyl semimetal nanoparticle.

A thermal diode includes: a dielectric enclosure having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side; a first Weyl semimetal nanoparticle disposed on the first side; a second Weyl semimetal nanoparticle disposed on the second side; a nanograting disposed on the bottom surface; and a voltage source configured to provide a voltage bias to the nanograting to suppress surface waves from the first Weyl semimetal nanoparticle to the second Weyl semimetal nanoparticle and to modify surface waves from the second Weyl semimetal nanoparticle to the first Weyl semimetal nanoparticle.

This invention prevents measurement error from becoming large in thermoelectric conversion coefficient evaluation and enhances evaluation efficiency. This invention is a physical property evaluation device for evaluating the physical properties of a plurality of solid materials formed on a substrate. The physical property evaluation device comprises an electromotive force measurement means that forms closed circuits including the individual solid materials and measures the electromotive forces occurring at the two ends of each of the solid materials, a means for producing heat flow within the individual solid materials, an external magnetic field generation means for generating a uniform magnetic field having a given intensity and direction in the vicinity of the individual solid materials, and an automation means for evaluating the physical properties of the individual solid materials using the electromotive force measurement means, heat flow production means, and external magnetic field generation means.

A portable power supply according to one or more embodiments includes a combustion device (20) and a heating container (30) that retains an object to be heated, wherein at least a part of a portion of the heating container, the portion being directly heated by the combustion device, is provided with a magnetic metal plate (32) that has spontaneous magnetization and that generates electromotive force due to an anomalous Nernst effect induced by the heating, and wherein electrodes (33a, 33b) for drawing power are provided. Thus, the heating container for generating electricity has a simple configuration, and furthermore the portable power supply is provided with both the heating container and the combustion device.

The present invention provides thermoelectric device comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, a first electrolyte composition capable of transporting cations, a second electrolyte composition capable of transporting anions and a connector comprising mobile cations and mobile anions, wherein the first electrolyte composition is connected to said first electrode by being in ionic contact and the second electrolyte composition is connected to said second electrode by being in ionic contact and said connector is in ionic contact with said first and said second electrolyte composition, such that an applied temperature difference over said electrolyte compositions or an applied voltage over said electrodes facilitate transport of ions to and/or from said electrodes via said electrolyte compositions. There is also provided a method for generating electric current and a method for generating a temperature difference.

Provided is a thermoelectric conversion element having a greater Seebeck coefficient (S) than the conventional ones. In a thermoelectric conversion element: a nonmagnetic Heusler alloy film (10), a ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film (11) and a nonmagnetic layer (12) are stacked in the named order; a pair of electrodes (23, 24) are disposed for deriving, in accordance with a temperature gradient occurring in parallel to the direction of magnetization (41) of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film, an electromotive force occurring perpendicularly to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film; a pair of electrodes (21, 22) are disposed for deriving an electromotive force occurring in parallel to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film; and the electromotive forces occurring due to an ordinary Seebeck effect and a spin Seebeck effect are simultaneously derived.

Methods and systems for sending multicast messages are disclosed. A multicast message is received to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals at a radio access network (RAN), the received multicast message having a first format. The first format may correspond to a conventional multicast message format. The RAN determines whether the received multicast message requires special handling. If the RAN determines the received multicast message requires special handling, the radio access network converts the received multicast message from the first format into a second format. The RAN transmits the converted multicast message with the second format (e.g., a data over signaling (DOS) message) on a control channel to at least one of the plurality of access terminals. The access terminals receiving the converted multicast message interpret the message as a multicast message.

Methods and systems for sending multicast messages are disclosed. A multicast message is received to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals at a radio access network (RAN), the received multicast message having a first format. The first format may correspond to a conventional multicast message format. The RAN determines whether the received multicast message requires special handling. If the RAN determines the received multicast message requires special handling, the radio access network converts the received multicast message from the first format into a second format. The RAN transmits the converted multicast message with the second format (e.g., a data over signaling (DOS) message) on a control channel to at least one of the plurality of access terminals. The access terminals receiving the converted multicast message interpret the message as a multicast message.

[Object] To provide a thermoelectric body that can be deposited on any substrate, which is not limited to a single crystal bulk material or an epitaxially grown thin film, and is capable of exhibiting high coercive force and residual magnetization with respect to in-plane magnetization.

[Solving Means] A thermoelectric body that is a magnetic film for use in a thermoelectric generation element utilizing an anomalous Nernst effect, characterized by having an easy axis of magnetization in an in-plane direction and an amorphous structure. Favorably, the thermoelectric body is characterized in that Sm.sub.pCo.sub.100-p (0<p?50) or Sm.sub.p(Fe.sub.qCo.sub.100-q).sub.100-p (0<p?50, 0?q?100) is included.