As electronic devices shrink toward their physical limits, the heat they generate becomes a silent performance killer. In the post-Moore’s Law era, unprecedented heat flux densities create localized "hotspots" that trigger device failure. However, traditional thermometers often fail at these scales, being either too bulky to resolve nanometer-sized regions or too invasive, disturbing the very thermal environment they aim to measure.
To overcome these challenges, a research team led by Professors Wenjing Hong from Xiamen University has developed a systematic "bridge" for thermal metrology. Published in Nano Research on June 8, 2026, their work establishes a comprehensive framework for cross-scale Raman thermometry, capable of probing heat from micrometer-scale chips down to the level of a single molecule.
"Raman thermometry is a powerful, low-invasive tool because it probes temperature by monitoring phonon dynamics," explains Professor Wenjing Hong. "While the laser itself introduces slight heating, our framework utilizes advanced techniques to rigorously decouple this self-heating interference, allowing us to capture the intrinsic thermal state of even the most sensitive micro-devices."
The review highlights a critical transition in physics: as devices scale down, the classical laws of heat conduction collapse. At the single-molecule limit (~ 1 nm), the statistical definition of "temperature" based on massive particles is no longer applicable. Instead, the thermal state is governed by a dynamic competition between "quantum pumping"—energy injected by tunneling electrons—and "energy damping"—the dissipation of that energy into the environment.
By defining an "effective vibration temperature," the team demonstrates how Raman spectroscopy acts as a unique window into these non-equilibrium energy statistics. This cross-scale capability allows researchers to monitor heat in diverse systems, from power electronics like Gallium Nitride (GaN) to the quantum transport in molecular-scale circuits.
"This is not just about measuring heat; it's about understanding energy flow at the limit of matter," says Professor Hong. "By mastering these measurements, we are laying the foundation for the intelligent thermal design of next-generation nano-electronics."
Other contributors include Yu Cao, Xiaomin Tan, Dunmei Liu, Jing Li from from the School of Electronic Science and Engineering at Xiamen University in Fujian, China; and Zhexiong Zheng, Weicheng Wang, Yanqing Zeng, Junyang Liu, Mingbin Gao from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Xiamen University.
This work was supported by by the Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology (2023H6002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22173075, 22250003, 22325303, 22503073, and 92577106).
D OI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94908582
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
Nano Research
Feeling the heat: Mastering temperature measurement from micro-devices to single-molecule junctions
8-Jun-2026