An overview of micro/nanoscaled thermal radiation and its applications

•Progresses in the area of near-field thermal radiation and applications are reviewed.•Understanding of near-field thermal radiation is vital for a variety of science and technology branches.•Near-field thermal radiation is tunable by altering surface microstructures and/or dopant concentrations.•Proper management of near-field thermal radiation will promote development of renewable energy techniques.

With the rapid development of micro/nanoscaled technologies, we are confronted with more and more challenges related to small-scale thermal radiation. Thorough understanding and handling of micro/nanoscaled radiative heat transfer is vital for many fields of modern science and technology. For example, proper utilization of near-field thermal radiation phenomenon greatly improves light-electric conversion efficiency. This review introduces theoretical and experimental investigation on near-field thermal radiation, especially progress in application and control of micro/nanoscaled radiative heat transfer, which addresses problems in developing renewable and sustainable energy techniques.