Nanophononics

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Nanophononics explores the physics and applications of lattice vibrations in device-relevant materials and structures. We investigate innovative concepts involving multi-state variables, such as phonons, as well as interactions of electrons and phonons and photons and phonons. Our research covers heat dissipation across and along atomically defined interfaces of semiconductors and in arrays such as phononic crystals (PnC). Thermal transport impacts, for example, heat dissipation in nano- and optoelectronics, coherence and noise in dissipation within nano-scale systems. We focus on GHz phonons and 100’s THz photons.

Our research extends to the confinement and guiding of elastic waves in two-dimensional (2D) phononic crystal silicon membranes, to the emerging field of topological phononics, within the broader context of topological matter.

We focus on scalable materials, mainly silicon-based, and novel ones such as 2D quantum materials. We aim to have our lab-scale structures compatible with circuits for ICT. We use and develop further contactless methods including Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy and Raman scattering, pump-and-probe techniques, vibrometry and optomechanical techniques.