Thermal and Thermoelectric Transport in Nanostructures and Low-Dimensional Systems

TL;DR

This review discusses recent advances in understanding thermal and thermoelectric transport in nanostructures and low-dimensional systems, highlighting size effects, boundary scattering, and quantum phenomena affecting thermal conductivity and thermoelectric efficiency.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of theoretical predictions and experimental observations of nanoscale thermal and thermoelectric transport phenomena, emphasizing the need for further research.

Findings

Casimir limit in phonon boundary scattering

Phonon confinement effects on thermal conductivity

Quantum size effects on thermoelectric power factor

Abstract

Significant progress has been made in recent studies of thermal and thermoelectric transport phenomena in nanostructures and low-dimensional systems. This article reviews several intriguing quantum and classical size effects on thermal and thermoelectric properties that have been predicted by theoretical calculations or observed in experiments. Attention is focused on the Casimir limit in phonon boundary scattering and the effect of phonon confinement on the lattice thermal conductivity of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) and nanomeshes; the effects of thickness, lateral size, and interface interaction on the lattice thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene; and the phonon-drag thermopower and quantum size effects on the thermoelectric power factor in semiconductor NWs. Further experimental and theoretical investigations are suggested for better understanding of some of these nanoscale transport phenomena.