Thermodynamic-enabled synthesis of Bi/Bi14Te6 axial heterostructure nanowires

We report thermodynamically controlled multi-segmented nanowires or phonon-glass, electron-crystal materials prepared by on-film formation of nanowires (OFF-ON), which is capable of growing high-quality single-crystalline Bi nanowires by the subsequent sputtering of Te onto the Bi nanowires and by post-annealing. The Bi/Bi14Te6 multi-segmented nanowires exhibit lower thermal conductivities than BixTey compounds, while the electrical conductivities of Bi nanowires and multi-segmented nanowires are similar.