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Vacuum Phonon Tunneling

Igor Altfeder, Andrey A. Voevodin, and Ajit K. Roy
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 166101 – Published 11 October 2010
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Abstract

Field-induced phonon tunneling, a previously unknown mechanism of interfacial thermal transport, has been revealed by ultrahigh vacuum inelastic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Using thermally broadened Fermi-Dirac distribution in the STM tip as in situ atomic-scale thermometer we found that thermal vibrations of the last tip atom are effectively transmitted to sample surface despite few angstroms wide vacuum gap. We show that phonon tunneling is driven by interfacial electric field and thermally vibrating image charges, and its rate is enhanced by surface electron-phonon interaction.

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  • Received 7 May 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.166101

© 2010 The American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Igor Altfeder*, Andrey A. Voevodin, and Ajit K. Roy

  • Thermal Sciences and Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, USA

  • *Igor.Altfeder.ctr@wpafb.af.mil

See Also

Vibrations Skip Across Vacuum

Michael Schirber
Phys. Rev. Focus 26, 15 (2010)

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Issue

Vol. 105, Iss. 16 — 15 October 2010

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