The Thermal Properties of Nanoscale Materials group (GTNaM), active at UAB since 2000, became affiliated with ICN2 in January 2021. Its activities mainly revolve around the study of thermal properties of disordered and nanoscale materials, with a special focus on the ultrathin film limit and low-dimensional solids.

The GTNaM has been working on nanocalorimetry for many years, with a commitment to investigate phase transitions in ultrathin films. This technique can be used to explore phase transitions in layered 2D materials or in very thin oxide membranes. We are starting collaborations with other ICN2 groups to measure the influence of size on the phase transitions of ferroelectric oxides and to directly measure the heat capacity of layered transition metal dichalcogenides.

In the area of thermal transport, the group is looking for a deeper understanding of nanoscale heat transport with the aim of manipulating heat and controlling thermal transport, in order to develop new thermally-driven devices and technologies. To this purpose, we investigate phonon transport and thermoelectric-related phenomena in low-dimensional or disordered materials, with special interest in understanding mixed effects between electrons, phonons and/or photons. This know-how is further used to design and develop thermoelectric devices that can operate as energy harvesters or thermal sensors in a variety of environments. Currently, the group is working in a European Project, developing new structures and methodologies to measure the thermal conductance of individual semiconductor nanowires by means of electrical techniques, without the pervasive influence of the thermal contact resistance that often represents a major source of error in the evaluation of the thermal conductivity.

Since we established our partial affiliation with ICN2, we have started to set up a new laboratory having an UHV evaporation chamber for organic thin films, which will be equipped with in-situ nanocalorimetry characterisation, and another independent high vacuum chamber for nanocalorimetric measurements of low-dimensional materials.