Phonon wave-packet dynamics at semiconductor interfaces by molecular-dynamics simulation

We directly observe phonon wave packets of well-defined frequency and polarization scattering at a coherent semiconductor interface using molecular-dynamics simulations. We find that in the low-frequency limit the transmission coefficients of both longitudinal and transverse acoustic phonons agree well with those predicted by the continuum-level based acoustic mismatch model. However, the transmission coefficients rapidly decrease close to the cutoff frequency, a result that can be understood within a simple one-dimensional discrete atomic-chain model. We also find that the transmission coefficient for transverse acoustic phonons depends strongly on the relative orientation of the polarization and the Si–Si bonds in the diamond lattice structure.