Authors
W Schweika, RP Hermann, M Prager, J Persson, Veerle Keppens
Publication date
2007/9/17
Journal
Physical review letters
Volume
99
Issue
12
Pages
125501
Publisher
American Physical Society
Description
Inelastic neutron scattering measurements on thermoelectric reveal a dominant soft local phonon mode at 5.3(1) meV. The form factor of this local mode is characteristic for dumbbells vibrating preferably along the dumbbell axis and can be related to a vibration of Sb dimers along the axis. The Lorentzian width of the mode corresponds to short phonon lifetimes of 0.39(2) ps and yields an estimate of the thermal conductivity that agrees quantitatively with recent steady state measurements. Heat capacity measurements are consistent with an Einstein mode model describing the local Sb-dimer rattling mode with an Einstein temperature of 62(1) K. Our study suggests that soft localized phonon modes in crystalline solids are not restricted to cagelike structures and are likely to be a universal feature of good thermoelectric materials.
Total citations
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Scholar articles
W Schweika, RP Hermann, M Prager, J Persson… - Physical review letters, 2007