Recent News:

• Prof. Feng received the 2024 NSF CAREER Award! See [University of Utah News]

• Our recent paper [ Appl. Phys. Lett. 123, 192201 (2023)] was selected as a Featured Article by Applied Physics Letters! Congratulations, Hao!

• Congratulations to Hao for winning the Best Presentation Award at the IMECE 2023 conference!

• The senior students won the 2023 IEEE/EPS ASME K16 Student Heat Sink Design Challenge! Congratulations!

• The 2023 University of Utah Department Newsletter highlights Dr. Feng's contributions. See [2023 Newsletter]

• Prof. Feng received the 2023 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award!

• Prof. Feng received the 2023 Brillouin Medal. [PDF].

Welcome To Thermal Innovations For Future (TIFT) Lab

Our Mission:

Our lab focuses on fundamental research on the thermal-related properties of materials and applications. Our goal is to use fundamental research to push the knowledge boundaries of thermal transport, conversation, and storage to extremes.

Research Thrusts:

We aim to gain a fundamental understanding and push the boundary of thermal energy transport, conversion, and storage to extremes. To realize this target, we develop novel, accurate, and multiscale simulation models and methods based on first principles, molecular dynamics, finite element analysis, and machine learning. Combined with materials syntheses as well as microstructures and thermal properties characterizations, we are able to validate the models and guide the designs for various applications. Research areas include:

• Ultrahigh-temperature materials and thermal transport: thermal barrier coatings, thermal protection, high-temperature energy harvesting, heat transfer in Earth mantle
• Thermal management of semiconductors: heat and charge transport with impurities and defects, interfacial thermal transport, thermal interface materials, ultra-high thermal conductivity materials
• Building energy efficiency: thermal insulation materials, building envelope air leakage detection, thermal energy storage, passive cooling, ultra-low thermal conductivity materials
• Thermal transport with irradiation: thermal properties of materials after radiation
• Thermal radiative properties: emissivity of materials, photon transport inside materials
• Ionic transport: lithium-ion materials, quantum materials, 2D materials