Published: March 1, 2016
Tuesday, March 01, 2016 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Main Campus - Engineering Office Tower - 226: Applied Math Conference Room
Baowen Li, Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Colorado Boulder

Phononics: manipulating phonons with electronic analog
 

The discovery of electronic transistor has changed our daily life in many aspects. However, a similar device to manipulate phonons – the main heat carriers in semiconductor and dielectric materials- has not yet available.

About a decade ago, we proposed a thermal diode model to rectify heat flux due to phonons in nanoscale [1]. A great progress has been achieved in this rapid developing field, including the experimental realization of solid-state thermal rectifier[2], thermal transistor model [3], and a new emerging field – Phononics [4].

In this talk, I will give an overview of past years’ development in this direction. Emphasis will be given on the fundamental principle of thermal diode, and the extension of thermal diode concept to control other energy forms including elastic energy, acoustic waves, heat carried by electrons, photons and magnons etc.

I will also present the underlying physical mechanism for negative differential thermal resistance  - an essential physical principle of building thermal transistor. The thermal transistor function like switch and amplifier will be demonstrated.

References:

  1. B Li et al, Phys Rev. Lett 94, 114101 (2004);
  2. 2.C.W Chang et al Science 314, 1121 (2006).
  3. B Li et al Appl. Phys. Lett88, 143502 (2006).
  4. N-B Li et al, Rev. Mod Phys 84, 1045(2012).