Quantum effects of thermal conductance through atomic chains

Date
2001
Advisor
Instructor
Source Title
Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Print ISSN
0163-1829
Electronic ISSN
Publisher
Volume
63
Issue
12
Pages
1254151 - 1254155
Language
English
Type
Article
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract

We present a formalism for an atomic scale study of phononic heat transfer. The expression of thermal energy current can be cast in the Landauer form and incorporates the transmission coefficient explicitly. Calculation of the thermal conductance of a monoatomic chain of N atoms between two reservoirs shows interesting quantum features. The conductance density appears as Lorentzian type resonances at the eigenfrequencies of the chain. At low-temperature limit the discrete vibrational frequency spectrum of a "soft" chain may reflect on the thermal conductance by giving rise to a sudden increase. At room temperature, the conductance through a "stiff" chain may oscillate with the number of chain atoms. The obtained quantum features are compared with similar effects found in the quantized electrical conductance.

Course
Other identifiers
Book Title
Keywords
Atom, Density, Electric conductivity, Energy, Frequency analyzer, Heat transfer, Low temperature, Mathematical analysis, Oscillation, Quantum mechanics, Temperature dependence, Thermal conductivity
Citation
Published Version (Please cite this version)