Solid State Physics 4.

7 Lattice Thermal Conductivity

4.8 Experimental values

THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
Lecture 12

A.H. Harker
Physics and Astronomy
UCL

Thermal Conductivity
Previous Lecture
• Specific heats always tend to classical limit at high T .
• CV decreases with decreasing T .
• Einstein model decreases too rapidly at low T
• Debye model gives correct T 3 dependence at low T .
• Debye temperature ΘD as
– correction factor to get right number of degrees of freedom;
– fitting parameter.

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 • Different behaviours of metals compared with insulators and semi- 4.8.2 Phonon momentum
conductors;
The momentum of phonons is rather different to normal momentum.
• Very large range of values: for elements at room T Conservation of momentum is a fundamental property of most sys-
– diamond: up to 2600 W K−1m−1 tems: it is a result of the fact that the Hamiltonian of a free particle
– copper: 400 W K−1m−1 is invariant under translation (p commutes with H). In a crystal,
the Hamiltonian is only invariant under translation through a lattice
– sulphur: 0.3 W K−1m−1
vector R. As a result, momentum in the crystal in only conserved to
In the following sections we look at thermal conduction by lattice within an additive constant ~G, where G is a reciprocal lattice vec-
vibrations. tor. ~k is not a true momentum of the whole crystal – except at k = 0
when it corresponds to uniform motion of the whole crystal. ~k is
called quasimomentum.

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4.8.1 Phonons as particles 4.8.3 Phonon interactions

If mode k is in its nk th excited state, as the energy levels are equally In the harmonic approximation we ignored terms in the Hamiltonian
spaced, we can regard this as a state with nk identical excitations in like X
mode k, each with energy ~ωk . We say there are nk phonons in mode unun0 un00 Dnn0n00 ,
k – exact analogy with photons. The phonon has energy ~ωk and mo- nn0n00
mentum ~k. We can think of the phonon as a particle (quasiparticle). and got normal modes which did not interact. When we look for
wave-like solutions, we have terms of the form
Akk0k00 exp(i(k + k0 + k00).Rn),
X X

kk 0k 00 n
and, as in our discussion of diffraction, the sum will be zero because
of phase cancellation unless
(k + k0 + k00).Rn = 2mπ
where m is an integer. But if G is a reciprocal lattice vector, G.Rn is
a multiple of 2π, so all we can say is that
k + k0 + k00 + G = 0.

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As a result of the anharmonic terms, we have phonon-phonon inter- From kinetic theory of gases
actions. Physical explanation: a phonon alters the local atomic spac- 1
ing, so that another phonon sees a difference in the crystal structure κ = nvcV Λ.
3
and is scattered by it. Note that ncV is the specific heat per volume – contrast the specific
heat per mole calculated earlier. Unless the phonons interact with
something (are scattered) the thermal conductivity will be infinite.

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4.8.4 Heat Transport 4.8.5 Boundary scattering

Treat phonons as a classical gas of particles, transporting energy ~ω Clearly Λ is limited by the size of the specimen. Generally, the speci-
at velocity v, the group velocity of the waves. Hot regions have a men is polycrystalline – Λ is limited by the crystallite size.
higher density of phonons than cool regions. Heat flux (energy/area/time)
Q:
Q = −κ∇T,
and κ depends on
• number of particles/volume carrying energy n
• specific heat per carrier cV
• carrier velocity v
• how far carrier travels before being scattered (mean free path Λ)

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4.8.6 Point defect scattering
Any irregularity in the crystal will scatter a wave. An impurity, or
even a different isotope, creates an irregularity. The defect size is
about that of an atom. But at low temperatures only low-energy,
long-wavelength phonons are excited. Scatterer size << λ is the
condition for Rayleigh scattering → Λ ∝ λ4. Dominant phonons
at temperature T have k ∝ T , λ ∝ T −1, and at low T the number of
phonons ∝ T 3 suggesting κ ∝ T 3 ×T −4 = T −1. More exact treatment
3
κ ∝ T −2 .

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4.8.7 Phonon-phonon scattering If the two initial wavevectors add to a new wavevector which is out-
side the Brillouin zone, they give a new wave with a group velocity
At first glance, expect phonon scattering to preserve thermal current,
in the opposite direction. Usually, subtract G, a reciprocal lattice
as energy and momentum are both conserved:
vector, to get back into the Brillouin zone:
k1 + k2 = k3
k1 + k2 − G = k3.
ω1 + ω2 = ω3
Such a process is called an Umklapp process (German: flip-over)
so even if phonons interact, they continue to carry the energy in the or U-process. Processes in which G = 0 are called N-processes.
same direction. But remember that the dispersion relation is periodic Note that for a U-process at least one of the phonons must have
– this makes a difference. |k| > π/(2a) – so very rare at low T. At low T , assume number of
phonons with large enough |k| is ∝ exp(−θ/T ), where θ is a tempera-
ture comparable with the Debye temperature. At high T , most of the
phonons will have large enough |k| to give U-processes, and number
of phonons ∝ T .

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4.8.8 Combined processes Low-intermediate T , isotopically pure U-processes dominate:
Assume all the scattering processed are independent. Each process • ncV only weakly dependent on T compared with
acts independently to reduce the conductivity. Analogous to resis- • Λ ∝ exp(θ/T )
tances in series, so
X • κ ∝ exp(θ/T
total resistance = resistancei Low T , impure defect scattering dominates:
processes i
• ncV ∝ T 3
or
1 • Λ ∝ T −9/2
κ=P 1.
i κi • κ ∝ T −3/2
Look at temperature dependence of terms in
1
κ = nvcV Λ;
3
note that v has negligible T dependence.

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High T : can always have enough phonons for U-processes to domi- Schematic variation of κ with T for isotopically pure (left) or impure
nate, (right) material.
• ncV independent of T (classical limit)
• Λ ∝ T −1
• κ ∝ T −1
Very low T : U-processes are frozen out, and only have very long-λ
phonons so defect scattering small. Boundary scattering dominates:
• ncV ∝ T 3
• Λ independent of T (geometry)
• κ ∝ T3

Note steeper rise to higher peak value for pure material.

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Thermal conductivity of LiF as function of temperature for varying Thermal conductivity of LiF plotted as κ/T 3 as function of tempera-
content of 6Li isotope. ture for low temperature.

Defect content can be increased by irradiation (e.g. neutron damage

in nuclear reactor).
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Thermal conductivity of LiF as function of specimen size at low tem- Summary

perature, showing effect of boundary scattering.
• Phonon scattering limits thermal conductivity
• scattering processes
– phonon-phonon
– phonon-defect
– phonon-grain boundary

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