Phonon Engineering
Explore the science of heat transport at nanostructures and interfaces.
Thermal management / Phonon transport / Electron / Magnon / Nanostructures / Heat conduction measurement / Multi-scale simulations / First-principles calculations
Phonon engineering is a key to controlling the thermal conductivity of materials. Phonons, the units of energy that transmit the vibrations of atoms within a crystal lattice, dictate the thermal transport characteristics of a material. At the nanoscale, defects and fine interface structures in a material greatly influence phonon transport. The scattering of phonons is largely controlled by these defects and fine interface structures, which in turn cause changes in the thermal conductivity of the material. The precise control of phonon transport through nanostructures holds potential for opening up new strategies in thermal management. In order to understand these nanoscale physical phenomena, we are fabricating various nanostructures and interfaces and evaluating their structures. We are developing new measurement techniques for the high-accuracy evaluation of thermal properties and constructing calculation methods that consider thermal transport at the surface and interface of nanostructures. Through these efforts, we are pursuing a deeper understanding of the principles of phonon engineering.
