Title:  Thermal transport and quasi-particle hydrodynamics

06 March at 12h30
Facultad de Ciencias, módulo 0, sala de conferencias Friday 06 March, 12h30

Abstract:

Heat travels in solids thanks to mobile electrons and phonons, collective vibrations of atoms. Even in a defect free solid, collisions degrade the flow due to the presence of the lattice. However, there are situations where most collisions for phonons, for electrons or for both of them conserve momentum. In this hydrodynamic regime, the quasi-particle viscosity plays a significant role and the fluid flows less metaphorical than usual. Recent studies of thermal transport in elemental solids such as black phosphorus, antimony and graphite, reveal a narrow temperature window where normal collisions enhance the heat flow rate. In the case of graphite, we observe a remarkable thickness dependence of the hydrodynamic window and room temperature thermal conductivity. Thin graphite displays the largest room-temperature thermal conductivity of all known bulk solids