Magnetic Field Production Abilities of Thermoelectric Materials Based on Layered Crystals of the Family [(Ge, Sn, Pb) Te]m [(Bi, Sb)2 (Te, Se)3]n (m, n = 0, 1, 2, …) with Non-Isovalent Cationic Substitution

Abstract

The dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit and magnetic field production ability of “natural” nanostructures–layered ternary alloys (TA) of the family [(Ge, Sn, Pb)(Te, Se)]_m [(Bi,Sb)₂(Te,Se)3]_n, with non-isovalent cationic substitution (Ge, Sn, Pb ↔ Bi, Sb) are investigated. In the transition from binary alloys (BA) to TA, we observed the formation of the phase “phonon glass–electronic crystal” (PGEC) and its subsequent degeneracy, accompanied by sharp increase in the carrier densities in the samples. As a result, the size ZT of samples went down, and the size X substantially increased, which speaks in the work to formation of a degenerated PGEC phase under non-isovalent cationic substitution in the samples. Comparison with known thermoelectric materials (ТEMs) (metals, semimetals, and semiconductors) used for production of magnetic fields H in contours of short-circuited ТC has shown that the investigated TA forms a new class of TEMs for magnetic field production with raised values of parameters X and Y.