UCLA scientists discover how to steer heat like light at room temperature
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UCLA researchers have demonstrated that heat can travel in concentrated, ray-like paths through a crystal at room temperature. The Aug. 7 study in Nature Physics showed phonon focusing — a quantum wave behavior previously only seen at cryogenic temperatures — is now possible in boron arsenide crystals. The finding could revolutionize thermal management in advanced electronics and quantum devices.
Room-Temperature Phonon Focusing
At extremely low temperatures, heat-carrying atomic vibrations called phonons can propagate in focused, laser-like beams instead of diffusing uniformly. The UCLA team, led by mechanical engineering professor Yongjie Hu, observed this effect in boron arsenide at ambient conditions for the first time. Using a nanoscale temperature-mapping technique, they recorded heat forming distinct ray patterns aligned with the crystal’s atomic structure. Ordinary materials produced circular heat spread, but boron arsenide yielded sixfold, eightfold, and fourfold focusing patterns depending on crystal orientation. The focused heat remained coherent across at least one micrometer and could extend for tens of micrometers — a scale relevant for microelectronic components.
Chip Cooling Potential
Steering heat along precise, predetermined paths could address a critical bottleneck in modern electronics, where thermal buildup limits performance and reliability. Engineers might route heat away from sensitive areas by designing crystal orientations, reducing dependence on bulky external cooling. Boron arsenide, already valued for its high thermal conductivity, may enable nanoscale heat channels analogous to fiber-optic cables for light. The discovery also opens avenues for thermal management in quantum computers, where qubits require extremely stable temperatures. Hu’s group plans to investigate the phenomenon in other crystalline materials and at larger scales.
What's Next
The research team intends to explore whether phonon focusing can be replicated in industrially compatible materials and at larger dimensions. It remains uncertain how quickly these findings can be integrated into commercial semiconductor manufacturing processes.
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UCLA scientists discover how to steer heat like light at room temperature
