Beautiful Vibrations - Understand Phonons for Heat Transfer

Abstract

As t he most ubiquitous form of energy, thermal energy or simply heat is widely involved in almost every aspect of real-world applications. Better understanding and then “taming” the thermal transport processes inside various materials and devices, especially at the nanoscale, are critical to many fundamental and engineering problems. Tremendous research opportunities are opened in this field, ranging from the large-scale recovery, storage, and conservation of heat, to improving the thermal safety and reliability of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and electronic devices. Unrestricted to aeronautics and aerospace applications, many of these research topics will significantly change our everyday lives as well.