UCLA Observes 250-Nanometer Quantum Heat Waves at 300K, Opening Room-Temperature Thermal Control
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 23
UCLA Observes 250-Nanometer Quantum Heat Waves at 300K, Opening Room-Temperature Thermal Control
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 23
Summary
A UCLA team reported the first room-temperature observation of phonon focusing—quantum heat waves traveling in ray-like patterns—at about 300 kelvin instead of cryogenic temperatures.
Boron arsenide made the result possible because its crystal structure channels heat-carrying phonons while letting them travel with fewer collisions, and a nanoscale gold probe both generated and mapped the heat flow.
The researchers tracked phonons moving 250 nanometers and found that changing the material's atomic orientation produced different ray patterns, supporting reproducible directional control of heat at the nanoscale.
Published in Nature Physics, the proof-of-concept suggests future ways to guide, focus and redistribute heat in advanced electronics and quantum devices, where thermal buildup limits performance and scaling.