Exploring Phonon Interference: Insights From a Nano‐Scale Silicon Double Slit Atomistic Simulation

In this study, the classic double‐slit experiment, originally developed for light waves is successfully adapted, to investigate the behavior of phonons in crystalline silicon. Through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, how phonons can exhibit wave‐like interference patterns when passing through two slits in a silicon block is explored. The results indicate that phonon waves behave similarly to photons, with slit distinct interference patterns. By manipulating geometric parameters such as slit width, distance, and length, in fringe distances that align with Young's double slit formula is observed to change. Key findings include the observation of phonon interference and the sensitivity of fringe distances to geometric configurations. Although some discrepancies with theory arose due to noise in the MD simulations, these results underscore the complexity of simulating phonon behavior in nanostructures. This study demonstrates that phonon behavior at the nanoscale can mirror classical wave interference phenomena, paving the way for future work that includes conducting physical experiments for validation and ultimately aiming to engineer devices that harness phononic interference for innovative applications in thermal management, microelectronics, and quantum computing.