A Building Block Approach to Controlling Phonon Dynamics in Nanostructures

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Much of the physical properties (i.e., electronic, optical, thermal) of crystalline materials stems from the periodicity in the atomic arrangement and the nature of wave interactions with the underlying repetitive structure. With the advent of nanotechnology there are now opportunities to introduce additional geometric structures including an added layer of periodicity in order to manipulate properties over broader spatial and temporal scales. The objective of the proposed research is the development of theoretical and computational tools for the analysis and elucidation of complex elastic wave phenomena in periodic nanoscale materials and the design of integrated material-structure systems with superior properties and advanced functionalities. This objective will be approached by adopting a building blocks methodology where single unit cells are first analyzed and designed. The cells will then be utilized at the structural level to achieve target mechanical and thermal properties and functionalities. In order to facilitate this multiscale analysis and design process, techniques for fast lattice dynamics calculations will be developed and utilized.The proposed theoretical work, which will be validated by experimental studies, will enable new approaches for material/structure analysis and design at the nanoscale. This will lead to substantial improvements in thermal properties and vibration response characteristics in bulk nanostructured systems as well as reduced dimension nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) components. Of particular interest are realizable material systems with reduced thermal conductivity for efficient thermoelectric conversion and robust nanoscale structures capable of suppressing vibration with minimum heat dissipation.