Characterization of rattling in relation to thermal conductivity: Ordered half-Heusler semiconductors

Feng, Zhenzhen; Fu, Yuhao; Zhang, Yongsheng; Singh, David J.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.101.064301

Title: Characterization of rattling in relation to thermal conductivity: Ordered half-Heusler semiconductors

Journal Article · 04 February 2020 · Physical Review B

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.101.064301 · OSTI ID:1597047

Feng, Zhenzhen ^[1]; Fu, Yuhao ^[2]; Zhang, Yongsheng ^[3];

^[4]

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States); Henan Univ., Kaifeng (China)
Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States); Jilin Univ., Changchun (China)
Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States); Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China)
Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)

We report that the factors that affect the thermal conductivity of semiconductors is a topic of great scientific interest, especially in relation to thermoelectrics. Key developments have been the concept of the phonon-glass-electron-crystal (PGEC) and the related idea of rattling to achieve this. We use first-principles phonon and thermal conductivity calculations to explore the concept of rattling for stoichiometric-ordered half-Heusler compounds. These compounds can be regarded as filled zinc blende materials, and the filling atom could be viewed as a rattler if it is weakly bound. We use two simple metrics, one related to the frequency and the other to bond frustration and anharmonicity. We find that both measures correlate with thermal conductivity. Lastly, this suggests that both may be useful in screening materials for low thermal conductivity.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation of China

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0019114; 11774347

OSTI ID:: 1597047

Journal Information:: Physical Review B, Vol. 101, Issue 6; ISSN 2469-9950

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 36 works

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