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Sound and heat revolutions in phononics

Nature volume 503, pages 209–217 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

The phonon is the physical particle representing mechanical vibration and is responsible for the transmission of everyday sound and heat. Understanding and controlling the phononic properties of materials provides opportunities to thermally insulate buildings, reduce environmental noise, transform waste heat into electricity and develop earthquake protection. Here I review recent progress and the development of new ideas and devices that make use of phononic properties to control both sound and heat. Advances in sonic and thermal diodes, optomechanical crystals, acoustic and thermal cloaking, hypersonic phononic crystals, thermoelectrics, and thermocrystals herald the next technological revolution in phononics.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Phononic crystals.
Figure 3: Acoustic diodes.
Figure 4: Acoustic cloaking.
Figure 5: Enhancing sound–light interaction.
Figure 6: Thermal diodes.
Figure 7: Thermal metamaterials.
Figure 8: Thermocrystals.

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  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA,

    Martin Maldovan

  2. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA,

    Martin Maldovan

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Maldovan, M. Sound and heat revolutions in phononics. Nature 503, 209–217 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12608

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