Project description DEENESFRITPL Exploring novel quanta of vibrational energy in realistic materials Vibrating atoms and molecules generate heat that can be quantified as phonons, units or quanta of vibrational mechanical energy created by oscillating atoms within a crystal – similar to particles of heat. Phonons in specialised protected states, also called topological states, could give rise to exotic phenomena potentially applicable to phonon-based logic and renewable energy technologies. However, to date, these specialised phonons have almost only been studied in artificial crystalline materials. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the TOPHONICALS project is combining theory and experiment to achieve these specialised states in realistic materials that can be used to engineer novel thermal devices. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Phonons are the quantized vibration of the crystal lattice that carry heat in insulators and semiconductors and thus the ability of manipulating them is central in many applications, ranging from thermal management, thermoelectricity and ,perhaps the most visionary of them, phonon-based logic and computing. Topological nontrivial phonons have been studied in artificial periodic structures, i.e. phononic crystals, and as intrinsic quantized collective excitations of atomic vibrations at terahertz frequency. The latter are of particular importance and can promote fundamental investigations and promising applications related to phonons, such as dissipationless phonon transport, quantized Hall effect, etc. The goal of this project is to investigate the intrinsic topological phononic states inside realistic crystalline solids and provide recipes for their experimental realization and engineering. The TOPological pHONonics In Crystalline materiALS (TOPHONICALS) project will deliver a framework aimed at designing and realizing nontrivial topological phonon states in realistic crystalline materials, exploring their use in applications related to renewable energy and information technology. Specifically, TOPHONICALS will focus on topological phononic states like quantum anomalous/spin/valley hall-like (Q(A/S/V)H-like) states and Weyl phonons with the purpose to achieve these states in the realistic materials, so that thermal devices such as dissipationless phonon waveguides, phonon diodes, negative refraction materials can be further designed and engineered. The challenge and novelty of TOPHONICALS is delivering a set of recipes to realize these devices not simply using theoretical models but realistic materials. This approach would allow us to imagine a low power phononic circuits, highly efficient phonon valley filters and an ideal phonon diode, as the topological phononic states are promising one-way boundary states immune to scattering. Fields of science engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcrystalsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesatomic physicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesmolecular and chemical physics Keywords topological materials phonons thermal conductivity thermal diodes Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2020 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Net EU contribution € 160 932,48 Address CALLE SERRANO 117 28006 Madrid Spain See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 160 932,48