Thermal transport associated with ballistic phonons in asymmetric quantum structures

Using the scattering matrix method, we investigate the thermal conductance associated with ballistic phonons at low temperatures in asymmetric quantum structures. The results show that when the structure is an ideal quantum wire, the universal value π ² κ _B²(3h) can be observed at very low temperatures. However, for asymmetric quantum structure, the thermal conductance is less than the universal value π ² κ _B²(3h), even at T → 0. The results also show that the thermal conductance is strongly dependent on the transport direction. The rectification effect can be observed in the asymmetric structure and can be adjusted by changing the structural parameters. A brief analysis of these results is given.