Heat conduction in deformable Frenkel-Kontorova lattices: thermal conductivity and negative differential thermal resistance

TL;DR

This study numerically investigates how deformable substrate potentials influence heat conduction in Frenkel-Kontorova lattices, revealing nonmonotonic thermal conductivity behavior and the emergence of negative differential thermal resistance due to deformation effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates that deformation of the substrate potential significantly affects heat conduction, identifying an optimal deformation for maximum thermal conductivity and facilitating NDTR occurrence.

Findings

Thermal conductivity varies nonmonotonically with deformation.

Deformation can greatly enhance thermal conductivity.

Negative differential thermal resistance can be induced by deformation.

Abstract

Heat conduction through the Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) lattices is numerically investigated in the presence of a deformable substrate potential. It is found that the deformation of the substrate potential has a strong influence on heat conduction. The thermal conductivity as a function of the shape parameter is nonmonotonic. The deformation can enhance thermal conductivity greatly and there exists an optimal deformable value at which thermal conductivity takes its maximum. Remarkably, we also find that the deformation can facilitate the appearance of the negative differential thermal resistance (NDTR).