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A surface-plasmon-coupled thermoelectric apparatus includes a first surface-plasmon substrate and a thermoelectric substrate electrically coupled to a plurality of electrodes. The substrates are electrically isolated from each other, and a first face of the thermoelectric substrate opposes a first f

A surface-plasmon-coupled thermoelectric apparatus includes a first surface-plasmon substrate and a thermoelectric substrate electrically coupled to a plurality of electrodes. The substrates are electrically isolated from each other, and a first face of the thermoelectric substrate opposes a first face of the first surface-plasmon substrate to define a phonon insulating gap. A method of transferring thermal energy across the phonon insulating gap includes creating a first surface-plasmon polariton at the first surface-plasmon substrate when the first surface-plasmon substrate is coupled to a first thermal reservoir. Also included is creating a nonequilibrium state between the electron temperature and the phonon temperature at a first face of the thermoelectric substrate, when a second face of the thermoelectric substrate is coupled to a second thermal reservoir. Also included is coupling the first surface plasmon polariton with electrons in the thermoelectric substrate across the phonon insulating gap, thereby transferring thermal energy between the thermal reservoirs through the phonon insulating gap.

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What is claimed is: 1. A surface-plasmon-coupled thermoelectric apparatus, comprising: a first surface-plasmon substrate; and a thermoelectric substrate electrically coupled to a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes include an anode and a cathode, and wherein the substrates

What is claimed is: 1. A surface-plasmon-coupled thermoelectric apparatus, comprising: a first surface-plasmon substrate; and a thermoelectric substrate electrically coupled to a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes include an anode and a cathode, and wherein the substrates are electrically isolated from each other, and a first face of the thermoelectric substrate opposes a first face of the surface-plasmon substrate to define a phonon insulating gap. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the phonon insulating gap is from about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a mechanism coupled to the substrates, whereby the thickness of the phonon insulating gap can be adjusted between about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the phonon insulating gap is sealed at a pressure of less than about 0.01 Torr at 25�� C. 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the phonon insulating gap is sealed with an amount of inert gas such that at 25�� C., less than about 1% of the heat transfer across the gap is due to the inert gas compared to that due to surface plasmon radiative energy flux. 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the phonon insulating gap further includes an aerogel layer or a point contact array. 7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the thermoelectric substrate is a semiconductor. 8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the thermoelectric substrate is selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, InAs, Bi2Te3, SiGe, PbTe, PbSe, HgSe, GaAs, InP, boron carbides, and boron silicides. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the thermoelectric substrate is selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, and HgSe. 10. The apparatus of claim 7, further including a second surface-plasmon substrate coupled to the thermoelectric substrate, wherein the phonon insulating gap extends from the first face of the first surface-plasmon substrate to a first face of the second surface-plasmon substrate. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second plasmon substrates include a semiconductor. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second surface-plasmon substrate contacts the thermoelectric substrate. 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second plasmon substrates include a semiconductor independently selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, InAs, Bi2Te3, SiGe, PbTe, PbSe, HgSe, GaAs, InP, boron carbides, and boron silicides. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second plasmon substrates include a semiconductor independently selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, and HgSe. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second surface-plasmon substrates include the same semiconductor. 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second surface-plasmon substrate and the thermoelectric substrate are the same semiconductor, and the second plasmon substrate is a doped surface layer of the thermoelectric substrate. 17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second surface-plasmon substrate and the thermoelectric substrate are different semiconductors. 18. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a first thermal reservoir thermally coupled to the first plasmon substrate and a second thermal reservoir thermally coupled to the thermoelectric substrate. 19. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a power supply electrically coupled to the electrodes, whereby the apparatus has a refrigeration mode. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus, in refrigeration mode, has a refrigeration efficiency greater than that of a comparison refrigeration device. 21. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a load circuit electrically coupled to the electrodes, whereby the apparatus has a power generation mode. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus, in power generation mode, has a power generation efficiency greater than that of a comparison power generation device. 23. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a metal layer coupled to a second face of the first surface-plasmon substrate. 24. A surface-plasmon-coupled refrigeration apparatus, comprising: a first surface-plasmon substrate; a thermoelectric substrate contacting a second surface-plasmon substrate; and a plurality of electrodes coupling the thermoelectric substrate to a power supply, wherein the plurality of electrodes include an anode and a cathode, and wherein a first face of the first surface-plasmon substrate opposes a first face of the second surface-plasmon substrate to define a phonon insulating gap of between about 10 nanometers and about 100 nanometers thick; the surface-plasmon substrates are electrically isolated from each other; and each substrate is a semiconductor. 25. A surface-plasmon-coupled electrical current generator, comprising: a first surface-plasmon substrate; a thermoelectric substrate contacting a second surface-plasmon substrate; and a plurality of electrodes coupling the thermoelectric substrate to a load circuit, wherein the plurality of electrodes include an anode and a cathode, and wherein a first face of the first surface-plasmon substrate opposes a first face of the second surface-plasmon substrate to define a phonon insulating gap of between about 10 nanometers and about 100 nanometers thick; the surface-plasmon substrates are electrically isolated from each other; and each substrate is a semiconductor.