Publications Details

Phonon localization and thermal rectification in asymmetric harmonic chains using a nonequilibrium Green's function formalism

Hopkins, Patrick E.; Serrano, Justin R.

Thermal transport across one-dimensional atomic chains is studied using a harmonic nonequilibrium Green's function formalism in the ballistic phonon transport regime. Introducing a mass impurity in the chain and mass loading in the thermal contacts leads to interference of phonon waves, which can be manipulated by varying the magnitude of the loading. This shows that thermal rectification is tunable in a completely harmonic system. © 2009 The American Physical Society.