EPJ B Colloquium - Nanophononics: state of the art and perspectives

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Published on 20 January 2016

Understanding vibrations in condensed matter, and in particular how to control these vibrations, is proving essential both at a fundamental level and for the development of a broad variety of technological applications. Intelligent design of the band structure and transport properties of phonons at the nanoscale, including their interactions with electrons and photons, has improved the efficiency of nanoelectronic systems and thermoelectric materials, permitted the exploration of quantum phenomena with micro- and nanoscale resonators, and provided new tools for spectroscopy and imaging.

This EPJ B colloquium is a collaborative piece by a large group of experts from France, Spain, Germany, Finland and the USA, who assess the state of the art in nanophononics, describing the recent achievements and the open challenges in nanoscale heat transport, coherent phonon generation and exploitation, and in nano- and optomechanics.

The article also explores the links between the diverse communities that are involved in the study of nanoscale phonons, highlighting the common goals and opportunities.