Scientists Document First Images of the Atomic Fingerprint of Heat in Quantum Materials | Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Researchers investigating atomic-scale phenomena impacting next-generation electronic and quantum devices have captured the first microscopy images of atomic thermal vibrations—revealing a new type of motion that could reshape the design of quantum technologies and ultrathin electronics.
Yichao Zhang , an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed an electron microscopy technique to directly image “moiré phasons”—a physical phenomenon that impacts superconductivity and heat conduction in two-dimensional materials for next-generation electronic and quantum devices. Her in-depth studies, which documented images of the thermal vibration of individual atoms for the first time, were published today in the journal Science.
Two-dimensional materials, which are sheet-like structures a few nanometers thick, are being explored as new components of next-generation quantum and electronic devices. A feature in twisted two-dimensional materials are “moiré phasons,” critical to understanding the materials’ thermal conductivity, electronic behavior and structural order. Previously, moiré phasons were difficult to detect experimentally, preventing further understanding of the materials that could revolutionize quantum technologies and energy-efficient electronics.
