Lattice Mismatch Dominant Yet Mechanically Tunable Thermal Conductivity in Bilayer Heterostructures

Heterostructures that are assembled by interfacing two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a unique platform for the emerging devices with unprecedented functions. The attractive functions in heterostructures that are usually absent and beyond the single layer 2D materials are largely affected by the inherent lattice mismatch between layers. Using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the phonon thermal transport in the graphene-MoS2 bilayer heterostructure is reduced by the lattice mismatch, and the reduction can be mitigated well by an external tension, weakening the effect of inherent mismatch-induced strain on thermal conductivity. Mechanical analysis in each layered component indicates that the external tension will alleviate the lattice mismatch-induced deformation. The phonon spectra are also softened by the applied tension with a significant shift of frequency from high to low modes. A universal theory is proposed to quantitatively predict the role of the lattice mismatch in thermal conductivity of various bilayer heterostructures and shows good agreement with simulations.