arXiv subjects

Jinghang Dai

Publications and source records attributed to Jinghang Dai.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Anomalous Thermal Transport Reveals Weak First-Order Melting of Charge Density Waves in 2H-TaSe2

How ordered phases melt in low-dimensional quantum materials remain difficult to resolve because the relevant fluctuations are dynamic and charge neutral. In this work, we show that thermal transport provides a sensitive probe of these hidden fluctuations in the layered transition metal dichalcogenide 2H-TaSe2. We observe a striking V-shaped temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity that cannot be explained by conventional phonon-phonon scattering. Instead, it originates from scattering by persistent local charge-density-wave (CDW) correlations, consistent with our phenomenological model linking thermal transport to spatial CDW fluctuation. Electron diffraction reveals short-range periodic lattice distortions persisting to at least 300 K, while X-ray diffraction shows thermal hysteresis of the CDW wavevector. Together, these results reveal a dislocation- and fluctuation-driven weak first-order melting of the CDW state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

On the Landauer formula in interfacial thermal transport

In this commentary, we clarify that the Landauer formula is not limited to the phonon gas model. It is fundamentally more general and applies to both particle- and wave-based descriptions of phonons, provided the transmission function is well defined. In the harmonic regime, the phonon transmission function and the resulting Landauer expression for heat current are exact. They can be rigorously derived using the atomistic Green's function method, which treats phonons as waves and does not require phonon dispersion in the interface region. In short, the Landauer framework remains valid for ideal, disordered, and defective interfaces, as long as an appropriate transmission function is used.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Anharmonicity strongly enhancing thermal interface conductance: A new anharmonic atomistic Green's function formalism

The traditional atomistic Green's function (AGF) was formulated in the harmonic regime, preventing it from capturing the role of anharmonicity in interfacial thermal transport. Incorporating anharmonicity into AGF has long been desired but remains challenging. We developed a rigorous anharmonic AGF model to incorporate anharmonicity at interfaces in 3-D structures with first-principles force constants. Thermal conductance of silicon- and aluminum-based interfaces is significantly enhanced resulting from the new channels opened by inelastic scattering. This work represents a major step forward for AGF and highlights the importance of anharmonicity at the interface.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗