Controlling thermal conductivity of two-dimensional materials via externally induced phonon-electron interaction

Phonon scattering by electrons, or "phonon-electron scattering," has been recognized as a significant scattering channel for phonons in materials with high electron concentration, such as thermoelectrics and nanoelectronics, even at room temperature. Despite the abundant previous studies of phonon-electron scattering in different types of three-dimensional bulk materials, its impact on the phonon transport, and thus the heat transfer properties, of two-dimensional (2D) materials has not been understood. In this work, we apply ab initio methods to calculate the phonon-electron scattering rates in two representative 2D materials, silicene and phosphorene, and examine the potential of controlling the thermal conductivity of these materials via externally induced phonon-electron scattering by electrostatic gating. We also develop an analytical model to explain the impact of reduced dimensionality and distinct electron and phonon dispersions in two dimensions on phonon-electron scattering processes. We find that over 40% reduction of the lattice thermal conductivity can be achieved in silicene with an induced charge-carrier concentration around 1013cm-2, which is experimentally achievable. Our study not only generates new fundamental insights into phonon transport in 2D materials but also provides practical guidelines to search for 2D materials with strong phonon-electron scattering for potential thermal switching applications.