Ubiquitous phonon engineering

Thermal phonon transport at the nanoscale: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Thermal energy is generated by all activities that consume energy and dissipate into the environment. However, for the proper function and performance of logic semiconductors, power semiconductors, optical devices, and living organisms, it is important to manage heat appropriately. Accurate understanding of thermal transport requires a deep understanding of the behavior of phonons, which are heat carriers. Phonons are more difficult to track and control than photons or electrons, but the exploration of their unique physics and development of control technologies are progressing steadily. Various applications have been introduced, owing to the understanding and control of thermal phonons, based on the fundamentals of thermal phonon transport at the nanoscale.