Proton irradiation effects on thermal transport in individual single-crystalline Bi nanowires

Abstract

We investigated the proton irradiation effect of thermal conductivities for individual single-crystalline Bi nanowires grown by the on-film formation of nanowires (ON-OFF). The thermal conductivities of Bi nanowires with diameter of 154 and 112nm were measured using suspended devices before and after proton irradiation, respectively. It was founded thermal conductivities of Bi nanowires appreciably decrease after proton irradiation, which was caused by the destruction of single-crystallinity due to the high-energy proton impingement. This result indicates the defects of Bi nanowires created by proton drastically limit the mean free paths of phonons, resulting in the change of thermal transport of Bi nanowires.