• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Thermal Conductivity Spectroscopy Technique to Measure Phonon Mean Free Paths

A. J. Minnich, J. A. Johnson, A. J. Schmidt, K. Esfarjani, M. S. Dresselhaus, K. A. Nelson, and G. Chen
Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 095901 – Published 25 August 2011
Physics logo See Synopsis: Measuring how far vibrations travel

Abstract

Size effects in heat conduction, which occur when phonon mean free paths (MFPs) are comparable to characteristic lengths, are being extensively explored in many nanoscale systems for energy applications. Knowledge of MFPs is essential to understanding size effects, yet MFPs are largely unknown for most materials. Here, we introduce the first experimental technique which can measure MFP distributions over a wide range of length scales and materials. Using this technique, we measure the MFP distribution of silicon for the first time and obtain good agreement with first-principles calculations.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 31 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.095901

© 2011 American Physical Society

Synopsis

Key Image

Measuring how far vibrations travel

Published 25 August 2011

Researchers have developed a new technique to determine how far vibrational excitations travel before they scatter, an important parameter for some nanoscale devices.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

A. J. Minnich1, J. A. Johnson2, A. J. Schmidt3, K. Esfarjani1, M. S. Dresselhaus4, K. A. Nelson2, and G. Chen1,*

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
  • 2Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
  • 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
  • 4Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

  • *gchen2@mit.edu

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 107, Iss. 9 — 26 August 2011

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
CHORUS

Article Available via CHORUS

Download Accepted Manuscript
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×