Design Thermal Transport in Materials—Semiconductor Thermal Management, Quantum Devices and Biotechnology

Heat dissipation presents both significant challenges and exciting opportunities. In this talk, I will highlight my group's recent efforts to explore thermal materials with exceptional properties and novel device applications. First, we have developed new semiconductors, such as boron arsenide, with high thermal conductivity, and demonstrated their use in heterostructures and thermal interfaces for power electronics. These materials also serve as a unique platform for studying higher-order phonon anharmonicity and non-perturbative physics. Next, I will discuss our progress in dynamic thermal management. We have investigated phonon transport in Moiré patterns based on twisted graphene and developed an electrically gated solid-state thermal transistor through molecular engineering. Additionally, we have demonstrated hierarchical structure design and scalable manufacturing for antimicrobial control of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging infectious diseases. These advancements open up new opportunities to design thermal transport solutions that drive progress in power electronics, sustainability, quantum information, biotechnology, and beyond. References: Science 361, 575-578 (2018); Nature 612, 459-464 (2022); Science 382, 585–589 (2023); Phys Rev. B 108, L140302 (2023); Advanced Materials 36, 2312176 (2024); Cell Reports 5, 102081 (2024).