Low thermal conductivity and triaxial phononic anisotropy of SnSe

Abstract

In this theoretical study, we investigate the origins of the very low thermal conductivity of tin selenide (SnSe) using ab-initio calculations. We obtained high-temperature lattice thermal conductivity values that are close to those of amorphous compounds. We also found a strong anisotropy between the three crystallographic axes: one of the in-plane directions conducts heat much more easily than the other. Our results are compatible with most of the experimental literature on SnSe and differ markedly from the more isotropic values reported by a recent study.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 08, 2014
Source ID
10.1063/1.4895770

Entities

People

  • Jesús Carrete
  • Natalio Mingo
  • Stefano Curtarolo

Organizations

  • Duke University
  • Office of Basic Energy Sciences
  • Office of Naval Research

Tags

Readers

  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.
  • Solar Photovoltaics and Thermoelectric Devices.