Proposal for a single-molecule field-effect transistor for phonons

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel single-molecule field-effect transistor for phonons, enabling reversible modulation of thermal conductance by electric fields, advancing nanoscale phononics and molecular thermal management.

Contribution

It introduces a practical design for a phonon transistor using ionic polymers, demonstrating significant thermal conductance modulation via electric field control of vibrational modes.

Findings

Achieves up to -25% modulation in thermal conductance

Reversibly switches between acoustic and optical modes

Operates at feasible temperatures and electric fields

Abstract

We propose a practical realization of a field-effect transistor for phonons. Our device is based on a single ionic polymeric molecule and it gives modulations as large as -25% in the thermal conductance for feasible temperatures and electric field magnitudes. Such effect can be achieved by reversibly switching the acoustic torsion mode into an optical mode through the coupling of an applied electric field to the dipole moments of the monomers. This device can pave the way to the future development of phononics at the nanoscale or molecular scale.