Nano-PHONONics and Nano-PHOTONics with low-dimensional systems

by Marta De Luca (Physics Department, University of Basel, Switzerland)

Monday 12 Oct 2020, 14:15 → 15:15 Europe/Rome

Aula Amaldi (Dipartimento di Fisica - Edificio Marconi)

The recently growing research field called “Nano-phononics” deals with
the investigation and control of lattice vibrations in crystals at the
nanoscale. The quantum-mechanical behavior of phonons may also enable the
realization of coherent phonon transport via phonon engineering. Phonon
engineering leads to a controlled modification of phonon dispersion, phonon
interactions, and transport. However, engineering and probing phonons and
phonon transport at the nanoscale is challenging. In this talk, we discuss
how phononic properties can be engineered in nanostructures, and the
challenges and progresses in the measurement of the thermal conductivity of
low dimensional systems.
In the second part of the talk we introduce the open challenges in
“Nano-photonics”. We present a new approach for embedding site-controlled
quantum dots in III-V nanowires, involving post-growth hydrogen
incorporation. Dots-in-nanowires with high brightness and high light
extraction efficiency can be the solid-state building blocks of novel
photonic crystals and photonic circuits, and open new paths in quantum
computation and communication. We also discuss the potential of an array of
quantum dots and quantum disks in the field of thermoelectrics, enabling the
conversion of temperature gradients into potential differences, thereby
generating electricity from waste heat.