Glasslike Heat Conduction in High-Mobility Crystalline Semiconductors

J. L. Cohn; G. S. Nolas; V. Fessatidis; T. H. Metcalf; G. A. Slack

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.779

Glasslike Heat Conduction in High-Mobility Crystalline Semiconductors

J. L. Cohn, G. S. Nolas, V. Fessatidis, T. H. Metcalf, and G. A. Slack

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 779 – Published 25 January 1999

Abstract

The thermal conductivity of polycrystalline semiconductors with type-I clathrate hydrate crystal structure is reported. Ge clathrates (doped with Sr and/or Eu) exhibit lattice thermal conductivities typical of amorphous materials. Remarkably, this behavior occurs in spite of the well-defined crystalline structure and relatively high electron mobility ( $\sim 100 {cm}^{2} / V s$ ). The dynamics of dopant ions and their interaction with the polyhedral cages of the structure are a likely source of the strong phonon scattering.

Received 12 October 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.779

Authors & Affiliations

J. L. Cohn¹, G. S. Nolas², V. Fessatidis³, T. H. Metcalf⁴, and G. A. Slack⁵

¹Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124
²R & D Division, Marlow Industries, Inc., 10451 Vista Park Road, Dallas, Texas 75238
³Department of Physics, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 10458
⁴Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
⁵Department of Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180