Natural nanostructure and superlattice nanodomains in AgSbTe{sub 2}

Journal Article · Mon Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4870576· OSTI ID:22273611

Carlton, Christopher E.; De Armas, Ricardo; Shao-Horn, Yang ^[1]; Ma, Jie ^[2]; May, Andrew F.; Delaire, Olivier ^[3]

---

1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
2. Quantum Condensed Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)
3. Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)

AgSbTe{sub 2} has long been of interest for thermoelectric applications because of its favorable electronic properties and its low lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.7 W/mK. In this work, we report new findings from a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study revealing two nanostructures in single crystal Ag{sub 1−x}Sb{sub 1+x}Sb{sub 2+x} (with x = 0, 0.1, 0.2); (i) a rippled natural nanostructure with a period of ∼2.5–5 nm and (ii) superlattice ordered nanodomains consistent with cation ordering predicted in previous density functional theory studies. These nanostructures, combined with point-defects, probably serve as sources of scattering for phonons, thereby yielding a low lattice thermal conductivity over a wide temperature range.

• OSTI ID: 22273611
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 14; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ANTIMONIDES
CATIONS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CRYSTAL LATTICES
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL METHOD
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
MONOCRYSTALS
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHONONS
POINT DEFECTS
SILVER TELLURIDES
SUPERLATTICES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY