Listening to the Nanopores : Smart Nanomaterials Use Humidity to "Tune" Hypersound Like a Guitar String

What if humidity could act as a control knob for hypersound ? Researchers have shown that nanometer-scale pores in thin films can “sense” moisture in the air and dynamically change how they trap sound, turning ordinary water vapor into a tool for controlling vibrations at the nanoscale. Nanophononic devices — structures that control sound at the nanoscale — are emerging as key components for ultrafast signal processing, telecommunications, …

Extreme longitudinal thermal conductivity and non-diffusive heat transport in isotopic hBN

Researchers from C2N and collaborators at Neel lab., MPQ lab, L2C lab. and Kansas university report record thermal transport properties in isotopically purified hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two-dimensional insulating material of major interest for thermal dissipation and thermal anisotropy. By combining microfabricated suspended devices with Raman thermometry (Fig a and b), the team demonstrates an in-plane thermal conductivity exceeding 1650 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at room temperature, among the highest values …