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arXiv · cond-mat/9908204

Quantum heat transfer through an atomic wire

Abstract

We studied the phononic heat transfer through an atomic dielectric wire with both infinite and finite lengths by using a model Hamiltonian approach. At low temperature under ballistic transport, the thermal conductance contributed by each phonon branch of a uniform and harmonic chain cannot exceed the well-known value which depends linearly on temperature but is material independent. We predict that this ballistic thermal conductance will exhibit stepwise behavior as a function of temperature. By performing numerical calculations on a more realistic system, where a small atomic chain is placed between two reservoirs, we also found resonance modes, which should also lead to the stepwise behavior in the thermal conductance.

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A. Buldum, S. Ciraci, C. Y. Fong. 1999-08-13. Quantum heat transfer through an atomic wire. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984%2F12%2F14%2F311

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