CAREER: A Research and Education Program on Nanoscale Thermal Transport: Developing a High Spatiotemporal Resolution Photo-Thermal Microscope

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0846561YangThis CAREER project seeks to advance research and education programs in nanoscale thermal transport through the following specific tasks: 1) Develop a high throughput, high temporal resolution (10 femtosecond) and high spatial resolution (10 nanometer) photo-thermal microscope using advanced tap-top extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lasers, 2) Study thermal transport processes in innovative materials and devices that are critical to microelectronics and energy technologies, with use of the new photo-thermal microscope, and 3) Educate the public, including undergraduate and K-12 students as well as non-engineers, about what nanotechnology can and cannot do in various thermal and energy applications.Intellectual Merit: The reliability and the performance of innovative nanostructured materials and devices depend strongly on thermal transport at nano- and ultrafast scales. While tremendous progress has been made in the past two decades to characterize thermal transport in nanostructures, simultaneous high temporal and high spatial experimental characterization techniques involving engineered nanostructures, although desirable, have not yet been achieved. This research seeks to develop a high throughput, high temporal resolution and high spatial resolution photo-thermal microscope. This new characterization tool will enable researchers to not only better understand the underlying physical mechanisms in nanoscale and ultrafast thermal transport, but also better manipulate heat carriers in small structures and at short time scales. An integrative theoretical and experimental program that uses this new tool will be pursued to study and manipulate thermal transport in nanostructures. This could potentially lead to transformative applications in information technology and energy security.Broader Impacts: The proposed plan for integration of research and education activities is designed to target participants over a wide range of age groups and scientific expertise including the general public, K-12 students, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as members of the engineering and scientific research communities and industry. Moreover, particular attention will be given to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups. The activities made under the auspices of this award will dovetail with the Integrated Teaching and Learning (ITL) program at the University of Colorado to launch a number of outreach programs including: 1) Development of new courses and programs related to Nanotechnology for Energy, Nanotechnology for Thermal Management, and Advanced Imaging and Characterization and 2) Recruitment of students from underrepresented group through ITL to design and build nanoscale thermal transport experiments that promote active learning in nanotechnology. The discoveries of the research team will be disseminated in professional conferences and journals, integrated into both undergraduate and graduate courses, and included on the Nano-Therm web, a live and interactive online encyclopedia dedicated to dissemination of advances in nanoscale thermal transport to the public, including professionals and K-12 students.