Thermal Conductivity Limits of MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$: Revisiting High-Order Anharmonic Lattice Dynamics with Machine Learning Potentials

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Auteurs principaux: Kocabas, Tugbey, Keceli, Murat, Gurel, Tanju, Milosevic, Milorad, Sevik, Cem
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Kocabas, Tugbey
Keceli, Murat
Gurel, Tanju
Milosevic, Milorad
Sevik, Cem
author_facet Kocabas, Tugbey
Keceli, Murat
Gurel, Tanju
Milosevic, Milorad
Sevik, Cem
contents Group-VI transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$, have emerged as prototypical low-dimensional systems with distinctive phononic and electronic properties, making them attractive for applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and thermoelectrics. Yet, their reported lattice thermal conductivities ($κ$) remain highly inconsistent, with experimental values and theoretical predictions differing by more than an order of magnitude. These discrepancies stem from uncertainties in measurement techniques, variations in computational protocols, and ambiguities in the treatment of higher-order anharmonic processes. In this study, we critically review these inconsistencies, first by mapping the spread of experimental and modeling results, and then by identifying the methodological origins of divergence. To this end, we bridge first-principles calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and state-of-the-art machine learning force fields (MLFFs) including recently developed foundation models. %MACE-OMAT-0, UMA, and NEP89. We train and benchmark GAP, MACE, NEP, and \textsc{HIPHIVE} against density functional theory (DFT) and rigorously evaluate the impact of third- and fourth-order phonon scattering processes on $κ$. The computational efficiency of MLFFs enables us to extend convergence tests beyond conventional limits and to validate predictions through homogeneous nonequilibrium molecular dynamics as well. Our analysis demonstrates that, contrary to some recent claims, fully converged four-phonon processes contribute negligibly to the intrinsic thermal conductivity of both MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$. These findings not only refine the intrinsic transport limits of 2D TMDs but also establish MLFF-based approaches as a robust and scalable framework for predictive modeling of phonon-mediated thermal transport in low-dimensional materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_13798
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Thermal Conductivity Limits of MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$: Revisiting High-Order Anharmonic Lattice Dynamics with Machine Learning Potentials
Kocabas, Tugbey
Keceli, Murat
Gurel, Tanju
Milosevic, Milorad
Sevik, Cem
Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Chemical Physics
Computational Physics
Group-VI transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$, have emerged as prototypical low-dimensional systems with distinctive phononic and electronic properties, making them attractive for applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and thermoelectrics. Yet, their reported lattice thermal conductivities ($κ$) remain highly inconsistent, with experimental values and theoretical predictions differing by more than an order of magnitude. These discrepancies stem from uncertainties in measurement techniques, variations in computational protocols, and ambiguities in the treatment of higher-order anharmonic processes. In this study, we critically review these inconsistencies, first by mapping the spread of experimental and modeling results, and then by identifying the methodological origins of divergence. To this end, we bridge first-principles calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and state-of-the-art machine learning force fields (MLFFs) including recently developed foundation models. %MACE-OMAT-0, UMA, and NEP89. We train and benchmark GAP, MACE, NEP, and \textsc{HIPHIVE} against density functional theory (DFT) and rigorously evaluate the impact of third- and fourth-order phonon scattering processes on $κ$. The computational efficiency of MLFFs enables us to extend convergence tests beyond conventional limits and to validate predictions through homogeneous nonequilibrium molecular dynamics as well. Our analysis demonstrates that, contrary to some recent claims, fully converged four-phonon processes contribute negligibly to the intrinsic thermal conductivity of both MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$. These findings not only refine the intrinsic transport limits of 2D TMDs but also establish MLFF-based approaches as a robust and scalable framework for predictive modeling of phonon-mediated thermal transport in low-dimensional materials.
title Thermal Conductivity Limits of MoS$_2$ and MoSe$_2$: Revisiting High-Order Anharmonic Lattice Dynamics with Machine Learning Potentials
topic Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Chemical Physics
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13798