High flux thermal receiver and method of use

A microscale thermal receiver unit cell, comprising:

• a flux absorber plate for receiving impinging thermal flux;
• a receiver plate positioned adjacent to the flux absorber plate, the receiver plate comprising a pin array, microchannels, or both a pin array and microchannels, the pin array comprising plural pins, each pin having a diameter, a height, and defining a span between two adjacent pins;
• and
• a header plate having distributor channels to distribute a heat transfer working fluid uniformly to the pin array and/or microchannels of the receiver plate without recombining working fluid flows on the receiver plate, wherein the working fluid flows adjacent the flux absorber plate to transfer heat from the flux absorber plate.