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Title: Anharmonicity and atomic distribution of SnTe and PbTe thermoelectrics

Abstract

The structure and lattice dynamics of rock-salt thermoelectric materials SnTe and PbTe are investigated with single crystal and powder neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering (INS), and first-principles simulations. Our first-principles calculations of the radial distribution function (RDF) in both SnTe and PbTe show a clear asymmetry in the first nearest-neighbor (1NN) peak, which increases with temperature, in agreement with experimental reports (Ref. 1,2). We show that this peak asymmetry for the 1NN Sn–Te or Pb–Te bond results from large-amplitude anharmonic vibrations (phonons). No atomic off-centering is found in our simulations. In addition, the atomic mean square displacements derived from our diffraction data reveal stiffer bonding at the anion site, in good agreement with the partial phonon densities of states from INS, and first-principles calculations. In conclusion, these results provide clear evidence for large-amplitude anharmonic phonons associated with the resonant bonding leading to the ferroelectric instability.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science & Technology Division
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Condensed Matter Division
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical and Engineering Materials Division
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Lujan Center
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1286750
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1180716
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; SC0001299; AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 90; Journal Issue: 21; Journal ID: ISSN 1098-0121
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Li, C. W., Ma, J., Cao, H. B., May, A. F., Abernathy, D. L., Ehlers, G., Hoffmann, C., Wang, X., Hong, T., Huq, A., Gourdon, O., and Delaire, O. Anharmonicity and atomic distribution of SnTe and PbTe thermoelectrics. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.90.214303.
Li, C. W., Ma, J., Cao, H. B., May, A. F., Abernathy, D. L., Ehlers, G., Hoffmann, C., Wang, X., Hong, T., Huq, A., Gourdon, O., & Delaire, O. Anharmonicity and atomic distribution of SnTe and PbTe thermoelectrics. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.214303
Li, C. W., Ma, J., Cao, H. B., May, A. F., Abernathy, D. L., Ehlers, G., Hoffmann, C., Wang, X., Hong, T., Huq, A., Gourdon, O., and Delaire, O. 2014. "Anharmonicity and atomic distribution of SnTe and PbTe thermoelectrics". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.214303. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1286750.
@article{osti_1286750,
title = {Anharmonicity and atomic distribution of SnTe and PbTe thermoelectrics},
author = {Li, C. W. and Ma, J. and Cao, H. B. and May, A. F. and Abernathy, D. L. and Ehlers, G. and Hoffmann, C. and Wang, X. and Hong, T. and Huq, A. and Gourdon, O. and Delaire, O.},
abstractNote = {The structure and lattice dynamics of rock-salt thermoelectric materials SnTe and PbTe are investigated with single crystal and powder neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering (INS), and first-principles simulations. Our first-principles calculations of the radial distribution function (RDF) in both SnTe and PbTe show a clear asymmetry in the first nearest-neighbor (1NN) peak, which increases with temperature, in agreement with experimental reports (Ref. 1,2). We show that this peak asymmetry for the 1NN Sn–Te or Pb–Te bond results from large-amplitude anharmonic vibrations (phonons). No atomic off-centering is found in our simulations. In addition, the atomic mean square displacements derived from our diffraction data reveal stiffer bonding at the anion site, in good agreement with the partial phonon densities of states from INS, and first-principles calculations. In conclusion, these results provide clear evidence for large-amplitude anharmonic phonons associated with the resonant bonding leading to the ferroelectric instability.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.90.214303},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1286750}, journal = {Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics},
issn = {1098-0121},
number = 21,
volume = 90,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Mon Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}

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Cited by: 58 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Eco-Friendly SnTe Thermoelectric Materials: Progress and Future Challenges
journal, September 2017


Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics Empowered by an Unconventional Bonding Mechanism
journal, August 2019


Manipulation of Phonon Transport in Thermoelectrics
journal, February 2018


Neutron Instruments for Research in Coordination Chemistry: Neutron Instruments for Research in Coordination Chemistry
journal, January 2019


Enhanced power factor in the promising thermoelectric material SnPb x Te prepared via zone-melting
journal, January 2015


Chemical tuning of dynamic cation off-centering in the cubic phases of hybrid tin and lead halide perovskites
journal, January 2017


A cubic room temperature polymorph of thermoelectric TAGS-85
journal, January 2018


Thermoelectric stability of Eu- and Na-substituted PbTe
journal, January 2018


High thermoelectric performance of Ag doped SnTe polycrystalline bulks via the synergistic manipulation of electrical and thermal transport
journal, January 2019


The cold neutron chopper spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source—A review of the first 8 years of operation
journal, September 2016


A suite-level review of the neutron powder diffraction instruments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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Rationalizing phonon dispersion for lattice thermal conductivity of solids
journal, September 2018


Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics Empowered by an Unconventional Bonding Mechanism
text, January 2019