Acoustic phonon mode splitting behavior of an asymmetric y-branch three terminal junction

The acoustic phonon transport through an asymmetric y-branch semiconductor quantum structure is investigated by use of the scattering-matrix method. It is found that the quantum structure exhibits mode-splitting behavior, resonant transmission, and the noninteger quantized thermal conductance at very low temperatures. The thermal transport behavior sensitively depends on the geometric configuration of the structure. Our work suggests that such a y-branch structure with specific structural parameters could be used as a splitter of phonon modes. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.