Phonon Transport Across Mesoscopic Constrictions

Abstract

Phonon transport across constrictions formed by a nanowire or a nanoparticle on a substrate is studied by a numerical solution of the gray Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) resolving the effects of two length scales that govern problems of practical importance. Predictions of total thermal resistance for wire/substrate and particle/substrate combinations are made for the entire range of Knudsen number, with an emphasis on resolving transport in the mesoscopic regime where ballistic-diffusive mechanisms operate and analytical expressions are not available. The relative magnitudes of bulk and constriction resistance are established, and a correlation for overall thermal resistance spanning the range of practical Knudsen numbers is provided.