'Phonon tunneling' explains heat flow across nanometer-wide gaps
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 - 15:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers have developed a model that explains how heat flows between objects separated by gaps of less than a nanometer. The team has developed a unified framework that calculates heat transport at finite gaps, and has shown that heat flow at sub-nanometer distances occurs not via radiation or conduction, but through 'phonon tunneling.'