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Phonon overdamping defines the ultimate limit of lattice thermal conductivity

Jincheng Yue1,*, Rongkun Chen1,*, Xinkai Sun1, Yinong Liu1, Xiaolong Li2, and Shiqian Hu1,†

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: shiqian@ynu.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. B 113, L161401 – Published 1 April, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/jhfd-vzjy

Abstract

Achieving the ultimate lower limit of thermal conductivity is essential for advancing thermal management, thermoelectric energy conversion, and phononic engineering. Here, we integrate Bayesian optimization with machine-learning-potential molecular dynamics to discover stacking configurations in graphene/twisted-MoS2 (Gra/T−MoS2) heterostructures that exhibit an exceptionally low crossplane thermal conductivity of 0.006Wm−1K−1, which is 3–4 times lower than that of typical ultralow-thermal-conductivity porous materials (0.02–0.04Wm−1K−1), surpassing the conventional lower bound of thermal conductivity in solid materials. Phonon transmission and spectral analyses reveal that this extreme thermal insulation originates not merely from phonon localization but from the overdamped regime of phonon dynamics, where strong interlayer asymmetry and disorder suppress the restoring forces that sustain oscillatory motion. In this regime, phonons lose their quasiparticle nature, and heat conduction transitions from propagating vibrations to localized energy dissipation. This work introduces phonon overdamping as a physical mechanism governing the ultimate limit of lattice thermal conductivity and establishes a data-driven framework for designing next-generation materials with tunable and ultralow heat transport.

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