Interface thermal resistance between dissimilar anharmonic lattices

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Sep 2;95(10):104302. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.104302. Epub 2005 Sep 2.

Abstract

We study interface thermal resistance (ITR) in a system consisting of two dissimilar anharmonic lattices exemplified by the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam and Frenkel-Kontorova models. It is found that the ITR is asymmetric; namely, it depends on how the temperature gradient is applied. The dependence of the ITR on the coupling constant, temperature, temperature difference, and system size is studied. Possible applications in nanoscale heat management and control are discussed.