Investigation of Phonon Scattering and Thermal Conductivity Reduction in Thermoelectric Materials Using Ultrafast Time-Resolved Optical Measurements

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaguo Wang ◽  
Xianfan Xu
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Optical Measurements ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Caged Compounds ◽  
Superlattice Structure ◽  
Filled Skutterudites ◽  
Plane Direction

Upon filling, caged compounds like skutterudites can have their lattice thermal conductivity reduced by 4∼5 times compared with unfilled structures [1]. Recently, it was found that the thermal conductivity in Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 superlattice structure is also greatly reduced, even comparing with its corresponding alloy, in the cross-plane direction [2]. A fundamental understanding of thermal conductivity reduction in these structures is important due to their enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit. For filled skutterudites, “phonon-glass-electron-crystal (PGEC)” scheme was adopted to describe the role of guest atoms in the cages constructed by host atoms [3]. The localized and incoherent “rattling” behavior of guest atoms cuts down the mean free path of phonons, which results in reduced lattice thermal conductivity. In this study we apply ultrafast time resolved measurement technique to study coherent phonons in Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 superlattice and coherent vibrations in misch metal filled skutterudites, aim to reveal the mechanisms behind thermal conductivity reduction.

The lattice thermal conductivity of silver alloys between 0.3 and 4°K

1965 ◽  
Vol 257 (1083) ◽  
pp. 385-407 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Copper Alloys ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Copper Sample ◽  
Phonon Interaction ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Electron Phonon Interaction ◽  
Electrical Resistivities

The thermal and electrical conductivities of silver and copper alloys with high electrical resistivities were studied in the temperature range from 0.3 to 4 °K. The lattice thermal conductivity results were interpreted in terms of Pippard’s semi-classical theory of the electron-phonon interaction and good qualitative agreement between this theory and the measurements was obtained for the temperature range from 1 to 4 °K. Below 1 °K the thermal conductivity of most samples decreased much more rapidly than one would have expected if the phonon mean free path were limited by the electron-phonon interaction only. Other phonon scattering mechanisms were therefore postulated and the effects of phonon scattering from dislocations was studied both theoretically and experimentally. The increase in thermal resistance below 1 °K of most alloys was more rapid than the increase obtained theoretically for phonon-dislocation and phonon-boundary scattering. The thermal conductivity of a copper sample with a resistance ratio of about 85 was found to be anomalous below 1 °K as well, suggesting that both the phonons and the conduction electrons could contribute to the effect in the alloys.

How cerium filling fraction influences thermal factors and magnetism in CeyFe4-xNixSb12.

2000 ◽  
Vol 626 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Chapon ◽  
D. Ravot ◽  
J.C. Tedenac ◽  
F. Bouree-Vigneron
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Theoretical Calculations ◽  
Filling Fraction ◽  
Rare Earth Atom ◽  
Filled Skutterudites ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Mass Fluctuation

Since few years, cerium filled and partially filled skutterudites are intensively studied because they show a wide variety of fundamental and applied properties. One of them consists in high values of thermal factors for rare earth atom in antimony skutterudites [1,2]. Slack suggests [3,4] a incoherent rattling of this ion in the oversized cage “Sb12” surrounding the cerium which affects highly the phonon motion and thus lowers the lattice thermal conductivity (kl). As a rule, the lattice thermal conductivity is decreased by a factor of 5 or greater by filling entirely the voids of the binary filled skutterudites with rare earth atoms [5]. Besides, kl decreases for partially filled compounds in respect with totally filled ones [6,7]. Mass fluctuation mechanism between cerium atom and vacancy is obviously involved as the origin of this last reduction. On that purpose, theoretical calculations [7] demonstrate that the reduction belonging to mass fluctuation mechanism is an order of magnitude lower than the measured decrease. As the mass fluctuation added to the “rattling” on the cerium site is not sufficient to explain such low values of thermal conductivity, another phonon scattering mechanism must exist. In order to find another mechanism we present the influence of the filling fraction of cerium on thermal factors and the temperature dependence of this factor for a partially filled compound.

scholarly journals Ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of chalcogenide perovskite CaZrSe3 contributes to high thermoelectric figure of merit

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Osei-Agyemang ◽  
Challen Enninful Adu ◽  
Ganesh Balasubramanian
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Figure Of Merit ◽  
Density Functional ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Thermoelectric Figure Of Merit ◽  
Boltzmann Transport ◽  
Phonon Modes ◽  
Thermoelectric Figure

AbstractAn emerging chalcogenide perovskite, CaZrSe3, holds promise for energy conversion applications given its notable optical and electrical properties. However, knowledge of its thermal properties is extremely important, e.g. for potential thermoelectric applications, and has not been previously reported in detail. In this work, we examine and explain the lattice thermal transport mechanisms in CaZrSe3 using density functional theory and Boltzmann transport calculations. We find the mean relaxation time to be extremely short corroborating an enhanced phonon–phonon scattering that annihilates phonon modes, and lowers thermal conductivity. In addition, strong anharmonicity in the perovskite crystal represented by the Grüneisen parameter predictions, and low phonon number density for the acoustic modes, results in the lattice thermal conductivity to be limited to 1.17 W m−1 K−1. The average phonon mean free path in the bulk CaZrSe3 sample (N → ∞) is 138.1 nm and nanostructuring CaZrSe3 sample to ~10 nm diminishes the thermal conductivity to 0.23 W m−1 K−1. We also find that p-type doping yields higher predictions of thermoelectric figure of merit than n-type doping, and values of ZT ~0.95–1 are found for hole concentrations in the range 1016–1017 cm−3 and temperature between 600 and 700 K.

scholarly journals Improvement of Thermoelectric Properties through Reduction of Thermal Conductivity by Nanoparticle Addition and Stoichiometric Change to Mg2Si

MRS Advances ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (58-59) ◽  
pp. 3637-3643
Author(s):  
William T. Yorgason ◽  
Arden N. Barnes ◽  
Nick Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Phonon Transport ◽  
Thermoelectric Efficiency ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
Si Nanoparticle ◽  
Si Nanoparticles

ABSTRACT Thermoelectric materials have been of interest for several decades due to their ability to recapture waste heat of various systems and convert it to useful electricity. One method used to improve the thermoelectric efficiency of a material is to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity (k p ) while not affecting the other properties. In order to reduce the k p of the material, this paper introduces silicon (Si) nanoparticles (NPs) in Mg2Si to manipulate phonon scattering and mean free path. A series of simulations is performed with the metal silicide thermoelectric material MgxSix. The objective of this work is two-fold: 1) to determine the optimal Si nanoparticle (NP) concentration and 2) to determine the optimal MgxSix stoichiometry for minimizing the k p of the system. It should be noted, however, that the assumed reduction in thermal conductivity is only a result of reduced phonon transport and that minimal impact is made on the transport of electrons. Interestingly, the uniform off-stoichiometry (49.55 atomic percent (a/o) Si) sample of MgxSix resulted in a reduction of k p of 84.62 %, while the Si NP sample, with matching a/o Si, resulted in a reduction of k p of 78.82 %.

Lattice Thermal Conductivity Modelling of a Diatomic Nanoscale Material

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 602-609
Author(s):  
Adil H. Awad
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Correction Term ◽  
Nanoscale Material ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Conductivity Modelling ◽  
Callaway Model

Introduction: A new approach for expressing the lattice thermal conductivity of diatomic nanoscale materials is developed. Methods: The lattice thermal conductivity of two samples of GaAs nanobeam at 4-100K is calculated on the basis of monatomic dispersion relation. Phonons are scattered by nanobeam boundaries, point defects and other phonons via normal and Umklapp processes. Methods: A comparative study of the results of the present analysis and those obtained using Callaway formula is performed. We clearly demonstrate the importance of the utilised scattering mechanisms in lattice thermal conductivity by addressing the separate role of the phonon scattering relaxation rate. The formulas derived from the correction term are also presented, and their difference from Callaway model is evident. Furthermore their percentage contribution is sufficiently small to be neglected in calculating lattice thermal conductivity. Conclusion: Our model is successfully used to correlate the predicted lattice thermal conductivity with that of the experimental observation.

scholarly journals Scattering Mechanisms and Suppression of Bipolar Diffusion Effect in Bi2Te2.85Se0.15Ix Compounds

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1564
Author(s):  
Jin Hee Kim ◽  
Song Yi Back ◽  
Jae Hyun Yun ◽  
Ho Seong Lee ◽  
Jong-Soo Rhyee
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Carrier Concentration ◽  
Hall Mobility ◽  
Lattice Distortion ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Iodine Concentration ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Bandgap Energy ◽  
Diffusion Effect ◽  
Iodine Doping

We investigated the anisotropic thermoelectric properties of the Bi2Te2.85Se0.15Ix (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 mol.%) compounds, synthesized by ball-milling and hot-press sintering. The electrical conductivities of the Bi2Te2.85Se0.15Ix were significantly improved by the increase of carrier concentration. The dominant electronic scattering mechanism was changed from the mixed (T ≤ 400 K) and ionization scattering (T ≥ 420 K) for pristine compound (x = 0.0) to the acoustic phonon scattering by the iodine doping. The Hall mobility was also enhanced with the increasing carrier concentration. The enhancement of Hall mobility was caused by the increase of the mean free path of the carrier from 10.8 to 17.7 nm by iodine doping, which was attributed to the reduction of point defects without the meaningful change of bandgap energy. From the electron diffraction patterns, a lattice distortion was observed in the iodine doped compounds. The modulation vector due to lattice distortion increased with increasing iodine concentration, indicating the shorter range lattice distortion in real space for the higher iodine concentration. The bipolar thermal conductivity was suppressed, and the effective masses were increased by iodine doping. It suggests that the iodine doping minimizes the ionization scattering giving rise to the suppression of the bipolar diffusion effect, due to the prohibition of the BiTe1 antisite defect, and induces the lattice distortion which decreases lattice thermal conductivity, resulting in the enhancement of thermoelectric performance.

scholarly journals First-principles predictions of low lattice thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric performance of AZnSb (A = Rb, Cs)

RSC Advances ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (25) ◽  
pp. 15486-15496
Author(s):  
Enamul Haque
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Debye Temperature ◽  
Layered Structure ◽  
First Principles ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Thermoelectric Performance

The layered structure, and presence of heavier elements Rb/Cs and Sb induce high anharmonicity, low Debye temperature, intense phonon scattering, and hence, low lattice thermal conductivity.

Theory of Thermal Conductivity of Micro- and Nano-structured Materials

2009 ◽  
Vol 1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyaneshwar P. Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Polycrystalline Diamond ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Si Nanowires ◽  
Quantitative Investigation ◽  
Debye Relaxation ◽  
Structured Materials ◽  
20 Nm

AbstractWe provide a brief discussion of the Boltzmann equation derived Callaway-Debye relaxation time theory of lattice thermal conductivity of micro- and nano-structured materials (of size greater than 20 nm. Incorporated in the theory is a comprehensive treatment of three-phonon scattering events. Using numerical results from this theory, we present a quantitative investigation of the magnitude and temperature variation of the conductivity of CVD polycrystalline diamond films, suspended GaAs nanostructures, Si nanowires, and AlN micro- and nano-ceramics.

scholarly journals Electrical Transport and Thermoelectric Properties of SnSe–SnTe Solid Solution

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 3854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Young Cho ◽  
Muhammad Siyar ◽  
Woo Chan Jin ◽  
Euyheon Hwang ◽  
Seung-Hwan Bae ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Solid Solution ◽  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Single Crystal ◽  
Carrier Concentration ◽  
Electrical Transport ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Defect Sites

SnSe is considered as a promising thermoelectric (TE) material since the discovery of the record figure of merit (ZT) of 2.6 at 926 K in single crystal SnSe. It is, however, difficult to use single crystal SnSe for practical applications due to the poor mechanical properties and the difficulty and cost of fabricating a single crystal. It is highly desirable to improve the properties of polycrystalline SnSe whose TE properties are still not near to that of single crystal SnSe. In this study, in order to control the TE properties of polycrystalline SnSe, polycrystalline SnSe–SnTe solid solutions were fabricated, and the effect of the solid solution on the electrical transport and TE properties was investigated. The SnSe1−xTex samples were fabricated using mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that the solubility limit of Te in SnSe1−xTex is somewhere between x = 0.3 and 0.5. With increasing Te content, the electrical conductivity was increased due to the increase of carrier concentration, while the lattice thermal conductivity was suppressed by the increased amount of phonon scattering. The change of carrier concentration and electrical conductivity is explained using the measured band gap energy and the calculated band structure. The change of thermal conductivity is explained using the change of lattice thermal conductivity from the increased amount of phonon scattering at the point defect sites. A ZT of ~0.78 was obtained at 823 K from SnSe0.7Te0.3, which is an ~11% improvement compared to that of SnSe.

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