Design and Optimization of Phonon Thermal Diode using Carbon Nanomaterials

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K04879
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 28030:Nanomaterials-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA Yukihiro 北海道大学, 工学研究院, 准教授 (00281791)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 熱ダイオード / 熱整流効果 / フォノンダイオード / 非平衡分子動力学法 / 非対称散乱体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, based on the phonon rectification mechanism that we have proposed earlier, we have developed a "phonon diode" that can strongly flow heat in a specific direction. Specifically, we designed a device that generates asymmetric heat conduction by introducing a triangular structural defect into graphene nanoribbons, which have extremely excellent thermal conductivity. The thermal rectification effect of the designed thermal diode was systematically investigated using a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulation, but the expected thermal rectification effect was not obtained. However, when a device was designed with a triangular structural defect plus line defects limiting the phonon path, a thermal rectification efficiency of approximately 23% was obtained in the low temperature region (about 50K).

Free Research Field

固体物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

電気回路におけるダイオードの発見がエレクトロニクス産業の大きな発展に寄与したのと同様に、熱を一方向に流すことのできる熱ダイオード（フォノンダイオード）の開発は、学術的にも工学的にも大変重要である。熱の整流デバイスは未だに開発されておらず、この研究の成果は、次世代のナノデバイスにおける熱の制御の新たな展開をもたらすと期待される。具体的には、ナノ電気力学系の駆動の際に発生する熱や雑音を素早く取り除くためのデバイスに応用が考えられるが、我々が得た熱整流効率（５０Ｋで２３％）では実用上は応用が難しく、更なる熱整流効率の向上が必要である。