Quantum Effects on Thermal Transport

While quantum effects have been proven to significantly affect materials thermal transport properties, there are more details to explore. For example, how the quantum effects can be utilized to manipulate thermal transport properties. Here I will show two examples to make use quantum effects to tailor thermal properties. I first show in isotope doped ice that the heavy deuterium will block the long-range atomistic tunneling. As a result, the range of atomistic quantum tunneling can be isotope engineered, which leads to anomalous isotope effect of thermal conductivity in ice. In the second part, I will discuss the electronic tunneling across metal-insulator-semiconductor interface provide a second channel for heat conduction. By introducing an additional channel for heat conduction, electronic tunneling can enhance the overall thermal conductance. This phenomenon highlights the potential for quantum effects to improve thermal transport efficiency in electronic devices and materials.