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Title: Thermoelectrics with a twist

Abstract

Thermoelectrics convert heat into electricity by enabling electron flow across a temperature gradient, but internal electrical resistance from Joule heating is a key limiting factor to conversion efficiency. In the pursuit of material platforms for the next generation of thermoelectrics, topological materials with high electron mobility, including topological insulators and topological semimetals, have attracted substantial attention. Topological insulators support protected current-carrying electron states that are robust to perturbations, reducing electrical resistance.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1572368
Report Number(s):
BNL-212241-2019-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 1476-1122
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0012704
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 18; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 1476-1122
Publisher:
Springer Nature - Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats

Li, Qiang. Thermoelectrics with a twist. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1038/s41563-019-0523-0.
Li, Qiang. Thermoelectrics with a twist. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0523-0
Li, Qiang. Mon . "Thermoelectrics with a twist". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0523-0. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1572368.
@article{osti_1572368,
title = {Thermoelectrics with a twist},
author = {Li, Qiang},
abstractNote = {Thermoelectrics convert heat into electricity by enabling electron flow across a temperature gradient, but internal electrical resistance from Joule heating is a key limiting factor to conversion efficiency. In the pursuit of material platforms for the next generation of thermoelectrics, topological materials with high electron mobility, including topological insulators and topological semimetals, have attracted substantial attention. Topological insulators support protected current-carrying electron states that are robust to perturbations, reducing electrical resistance.},
doi = {10.1038/s41563-019-0523-0},
journal = {Nature Materials},
number = 12,
volume = 18,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Mon Oct 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 1 work
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Topological phase transition in Pb(Te, Se) - Sn(Te, Se). The valance band (VB) and conduction band (CB) in non-trivial topological crystal insulators Sn(Te, Se) have surface states (SS) that are inverted from that of trivial band insulators Pb(Te, Se). The band gap, the difference in energy E betweenmore » the VB and the CB, initially decreases with the increasing Sn-content, goes to zero leading to a Dirac semimetal at an intermediate Sn-content, then increases with a further increase in the Sn-content. Applying pressure to a band insulator PbSe induces the same topological phase transition.« less

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Works referenced in this record:

The strange topology that is reshaping physics
journal, July 2017


Enhancement of thermoelectric performance across the topological phase transition in dense lead selenide
journal, October 2019


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Large, nonsaturating thermopower in a quantizing magnetic field
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journal, May 2019


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book, January 2016


Figures / Tables found in this record:

    Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.