Lattice Strain Advances Thermoelectrics

Lattice vibrations in crystalline materials generate phonons as heat carriers for heat conduction, and the phonon dispersion (energy versus momentum) is fundamentally determined by the mass of lattice vibrators (atoms) and the interaction force between atoms. A significant manipulation of lattice thermal conductivity through a change in atomic mass usually requires a large variation in chemical composition, which is not always valid thermodynamically or may risk the resultant detriment of other functionalities (e.g., carrier mobility). Here we show a strategy of alternatively manipulating the interaction force between atoms through lattice strains without changing the composition, for remarkably reducing the lattice thermal conductivity without reducing carrier mobility, in Na0.03Eu0.03Sn0.02Pb0.92Te with stable lattice dislocations. This successfully leads to an extraordinarily high thermoelectric figure of merit, with the help of valence band convergence. This work offers both insights and solutions on lattice strain engineering for reducing lattice thermal conductivity, thus advancing thermoelectrics.