This symposium will broadly cover current and emerging thermal materials, with aspects bridging fundamental understanding of materials' thermal properties to applications. The symposium will focus on emerging materials and systems for solar thermal, thermophotovoltaic, thermoelectric, thermo-electrochemical, thermo-acoustic, thermo-ferroelectric, and thermo-magnetic energy harvesting, storage, and multiscale (from nano to macro) materials with extreme thermal conductivity for thermal management. Discussions include both the experimental and theoretical aspects, such as rational design, synthesis, fabrication processes, property optimization and external field control, modelling of material thermal properties, including new fundamental science breakthroughs.
Broad Impacts: This symposium will present state-of-the-art research on thermal materials, device, and theory for various applications, bringing together scientists and engineers from various disciplines and diverse backgrounds, as well as women and minority researchers. We will also coordinate a tutorial session on thermal materials to educate a more general MRS audience. Student awards will be organized to facilitate younger researcher participation in this symposium. The symposium will bring exciting opportunities in the education and training of the next generation of materials researchers, public outreach, career and professional development, impact of materials research on the global economies, and efforts to broaden diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups.