Thermal Energy At The Nanoscale

These notes provide a detailed treatment of the thermal energy storage and transport by conduction in natural and fabricated structures. Thermal energy by two main carriers-phonons and electrons-are explored from basic principles. For solid-state transport, a common Landauer framework is used for heat flow, and issues including the quantum of thermal conductance, ballistic interface resistance, and carrier scattering are elucidated. Bulk material properties, such as thermal conductivity, are derived from transport theories, and the effects of spatial confinement on these properties are established. The foregoing topics themselves are not unique as elements in a book; many other outstanding texts cover these topics admirably and are cited in context herein. At the same time, the present content emphasizes a basic theoretical framework based on the Landauer formalism that is as self-consistent as possible, not only internally but also with respect to similar efforts in this book series on the subject of electrical transport. The other series titles, written by Profs. Supriyo Datta and Mark Lundstrom, have therefore provided much inspiration to the present work, as have my related conversations with these two amazing colleagues. The end result is (hopefully) an accessible exposition on the foundations of the subject that remains concise by avoiding lengthy digressions into the vast array of related contemporary research topics. At the same time, it is my hope that readers, after studying this work, will be ready to enter the field wellequipped to contribute to this wonderful body of research and community of researchers. T. S. Fisher