Electrical Transport Research Articles

Reduced thermal conductivity and enhanced TE performance in CrSb2via Fe-Bi co-substitution.

The efficiency of thermoelectric (TE) technology relies on the performance of TE materials. Substitution with heavy elements is an effective strategy in TE for enhancing phonon scattering without much affecting electrical transport properties. However, selecting suitable dopants to achieve a high TE figure-of-merit (ZT) poses a significant challenge. Thus, in this study, the efficacy of combined (Fe and Bi) co-substitution in CrSb2is investigated as a promising strategy to enhance ZT by lowering thermal conductivity. A series of co-substituted Cr1-xFexBiySb2-y(x= 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1 andy= 0.10, 0.15, 0.20,0.25) samples were synthesized via furnace reaction followed by spark plasma sintering technique. Phase analysis and temperature dependence TE transport properties were systematically studied on synthesized samples. Furthermore, to analyze the impact of disorder induced by Bi/Fe substitution, electronic structure calculation was performed using the projector augmented-wave method. Notably, Cr0.75Fe0.25Bi0.15Sb1.85exhibited a low thermal conductivity of ∼2.5 W m-1K-1at 300 K, which reduced to half compared to that of pristine CrSb2(∼5 W m-1K-1). This reduction is attributed to the introduction of significant mass fluctuations and point defects along with the presence of Bi at grain boundaries by co-substitution. Consequently, a remarkable 90% enhancement inZT(∼0.021) at 350 K was achieved for Cr0.75Fe0.25Bi0.15Sb1.85compared to that of pristine CrSb2(ZT∼ 0.012). This study can provide valuable insights into the rational design of effective dopants in other TE materials also.

Environmental benefit of recycling plastics from waste electrical & electronic equipment

Plastic recycling from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) can effectively deal with both the resource crisis and environmental pollution. However, the life cycle environmental impacts of recycling plastics derived from WEEE are still unclear. Therefore, this study adopts life cycle assessment and machine learning methods to estimate the environmental impacts and mitigation potentials of WEEE plastics recycling. We find the environmental degradation of WEEE waste plastics recycling are mainly from electricity consumption and transportation during the disassembly and granulation stages. Significant variation in the reduction effect of WEEE plastics recycling technologies is observed, ranging from 13 % to 77 %. The WEEE generation is projected to exhibit an S-shaped trend from 103 tonnes in 1980 to 15.42 million tonnes (Mt) in 2050, contributing to 10.33 Mt of carbon reduction. Improving the efficiency of WEEE plastics recycling technologies and enhancing legal recycling of waste air conditioner can efficiently reduce environmental emissions.

Counteracting sawtooth crash effects via fluctuation-induced inward transport in HL-2A NBI plasma

The Langmuir probe observed an increase in density and floating potential fluctuations after the sawtooth crash at the edge of HL-2A neutral beam injection heated plasma. This process initiates fluctuating-induced radial inward particle transport once the plasma enters a period with strong sawtooth crash. The inward transport comprises broad-band fluctuations with varying scales, which occur uniquely in the immediate aftermath of the sawtooth crash-driven outflow, signifying a transient phenomenon confined to that specific interval. These results demonstrate that the sawtooth crash can significantly impact edge turbulence by modifying electrostatic fluctuations. This modification changes the direction of electric fluctuation-induced particle transport, thereby reducing the influence of the intense sawtooth crash-driven outflow. Furthermore, the observations support the existence of a damping mechanism for the outflow during the formation of inward flux after the sawtooth crash, which may be associated with the recovery process of sawtooth cycle.

Efficient Charge Transfer in Graphene/CrOCl Heterostructures by van der Waals Interfacial Coupling.

Due to the large volume of exposed atoms and electrons at the surface of two-dimensional materials, interfacial charge coupling has been proven as an efficient strategy to engineer the electronic structures of two-dimensional materials assembled in van der Waals heterostructures. Recently, heterostructures formed by graphene stacked with CrOCl have demonstrated intriguing quantum states, including a distorted quantum Hall phase in the monolayer graphene and the unconventional correlated insulator in the bilayer graphene. Yet, the understanding of the interlayer charge coupling in the heterostructure remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate clear evidences of efficient hole doping in the interfacial-coupled graphene/CrOCl heterostructure by detailed Raman spectroscopy and electrical transport measurements. The observation of significant blue shifts and stiffness of graphene Raman modes quantitatively determines the concentration of hole injection of about 1.2 × 1013 cm-2 from CrOCl to graphene, which is highly consistent with the enhanced conductivity of graphene. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory reveal that due to the large work function difference and the electronegativity of Cl atoms in CrOCl, the electrons are efficiently transferred from graphene to CrOCl, leading to hole doping in graphene. Our findings provide clues for understanding the exotic physical properties of graphene/CrOCl heterostructures, paving the way for further engineering of quantum electronic states by efficient interfacial charge coupling in van der Waals heterostructures.

Large-area superconducting nanowire arrays fabricated by nano laser direct writing

We report on the fabrication, structural, and electrical transport characterizations of superconducting nanowire arrays based on nano-laser direct writing (NLDW). The thermal excitation-induced micro/nano fabrication based on the interactions between NLDW and superconducting Nb films was experimentally analyzed and simulated. Experimentally, the arrays of superconducting nanowires have an area of 190 × 190 μm2 with a critical transition temperature Tc of 7.8 K and a critical current density Jc of 20.8 MA cm−2 at 4.0 K. The width and arrangement of the nanowires are precisely controlled, exhibiting a minimal loss of 0.6 K in Tc and excellent Jc after LDW. The width of superconducting nanowires could be further optimized by adjusting parameters such as laser power, irradiation gap, and delay of points. Compared with electron beam lithography and focused ion beam, to some extent, the nanowires fabrication process based on NLDW provides a more efficient and cost-effective path for fabricating large-area superconducting circuits and devices.

The delicate coupling between magnetism and magneto-transport in Fermi-energy-adjusted MnBi2Te4 crystals

We explored the coupling between magnetic and magneto-transport properties in MnBi2Te4 crystals with Fermi energy EF ranging from 10 to 100 meV in the conduction band. Electrical, magnetic, and magneto-transport measurements reveal distinct behaviors depending on EF. At lower EF values (10 meV), MnBi2Te4 exhibits degenerate-semiconductor-like electrical transport and ferrimagnetism, with weak coupling between magneto-resistance and ferrimagnetism. In contrast, MnBi2Te4 displays metallic transport and antiferromagnetism (AFM) at higher Fermi energies, with magneto-resistance strongly coupled to antiferromagnetism and canted antiferromagnetism under a large external magnetic field. Remarkably, Hall measurements demonstrate a pronounced anomalous Hall resistivity (AHR) when the EF of MnBi2Te4 is 10 meV, larger than that reported for other bulk MnBi2Te4 crystals in the literature. Significant AHR is attributed to the Berry-phase effect in electronic-band structure based on first-principles calculation. The evolution of magnetic and magneto-transport properties in EF shifted MnBi2Te4 can be semi-quantitatively explained by the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction between neighboring MnTe layers. Our work suggests that the strongly Fermi-energy-sensitive magneto-transport properties observed in MnBi2Te4 may be useful in developing magnetic sensors/detectors.

Non-Fermi-liquid behavior consistent with a preasymptotic disorder-tuned ferromagnetic quantum critical point in the heavy fermion system CeTi1−xVxGe3

An investigation of the thermodynamic and electrical transport properties of the isoelectronic chemical substitution series CeTi1−xVxGe3 (CTVG) single crystals is reported. As x increases, the ferromagnetic (FM) transition temperature is suppressed, reaching absolute zero at the critical concentration x=0.4, where a non-Fermi-liquid low-temperature specific heat and electrical resistivity, as well as the hyperscaling of specific heat and magnetization, are found. Our study suggests the presence of an FM quantum critical point (QCP) in CTVG. The obtained critical exponents indicate that CTVG falls in the preasymptotic region of the disorder-tuned FM QCP predicted by the Belitz-Kirkpatrick-Vojta theory. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Approaching crystal’s limit of thermoelectrics by nano-sintering-aid at grain boundaries

Grain boundary plays a vital role in thermoelectric transports, leading to distinct properties between single crystals and polycrystals. Manipulating the grain boundary to realize good thermoelectric properties in polycrystals similar as those of single crystals is a long-standing task, but it is quite challenging. Herein, we develop a liquid-phase sintering strategy to successfully introduce Mg2Cu nano-sintering-aid into the grain boundaries of Mg3(Bi, Sb)2-based materials. The nano-aid helps to enlarge the average grain size to 23.7 μm and effectively scatter phonons, leading to excellent electrical transports similar as those of single crystals and ultralow lattice thermal conductivity as well as exceptional thermoelectric figure of merit (1.5 at 500 K) and conversion efficiency (7.4% under temperature difference of 207 K). This work provides a simple but effective strategy for the fabrication of high-performance polycrystals for large-scale applications.

Causes of accidents in electrical distribution networks (using the example of the branch of PJSC Rossetti Volga – Saratov Distribution Networks)

The article is a continuation of a series of studies dedicated to the analysis of power transmission through distribution electric networks of PJSC ROSSETI. The presented material analyzes the functioning of the electrical networks of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Volga – Saratov Distribution Networks. An analytical assessment of the electric energy transport through distribution electric networks was carried out for the period 2018–2022. The structure of the company is considered, the structural characteristics of the main elements of the studied electrical networks are given, and the number of emergencies that occurred during the study period is estimated. A quantitative assessment of the magnitude of the electric energy undersupply caused by power supply interruptions is given. The classification of failures according to the degree of the intensity of undersupply was carried out and a quantitative assessment of each group of failures according to their intensity was made. The influence of the seasonal component on the number of emergencies during the study period is considered. Based on the data from 2022–2023, the analysis of the main causes of damage to the elements of electrical networks was carried out. The classification of failures by groups of failure causes is made, their main characteristics for this period are considered. The percentage ratio of the number of failures number for the most characteristic reasons to the total number of outages during the study period has been established. The information published in the open press was used as the source data. General scientific methods as well as numerical methods of analysis were used in the research. MATLAB graphics editor technologies were used to visualize the obtained analysis results. The results obtained may be of interest to the managers of power grid companies, as well as researchers and engineers engaged in research in the field of reliability of power supply.

Data-driven electric vehicle usage and charging analysis of logistics vehicle in Shenzhen, China

The electrification of transportation is profoundly reshaping human society and presenting new challenges in terms of travel modes, infrastructure development, and energy supply. Given the potential for large-scale scheduling of electric logistics vehicles (ELVs), it is crucial to thoroughly analyze the usage characteristics and establish reliable models. This study examines the usage patterns and charging behaviors of 29 ELVs in Shenzhen, China, encompassing 34,856 trips and 14,464 charging events. Furthermore, behavior-time probability density models were constructed based on an improved Gaussian mixture model (GMM), which avoids the fitting error caused by misclassification of time series data across time nodes. The article also provides a comprehensive analysis of other statistical findings related to the travel and charging activities of ELVs. The conclusions drawn from this research can serve as valuable references for industries involved in infrastructure construction, power grid management, battery virtual aggregation, and similar sectors.

Environmental impacts of oil extraction in blocks 16 and 67 of the Yasuní Reserve in the Amazonian Forest: Combined qualitative and Life-Cycle Assessment

This research analyses 24 years of oil extraction in blocks 16 and 67 of the Yasuní National Park (YNP) in the Amazonian Forest of Ecuador, one of the most biodiverse spaces in the world and with the current presence of ancient indigenous communities. As a novel contribution, we have carried out a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) that quantifies the footprints associated with the extraction, transportation, refining, distribution and final uses of the oil in four different scenarios (oil for asphalt use, electricity, marine fuel and passenger car transport). This study also sheds light on the energy return at the point of use of different oil-derivatives, and complements this with a qualitative analysis of the social, cultural and environmental implications for the Waorani communities. We conclude that the environmental burdens of the extraction process in blocks 16 and 67 in 2015 were greater than those of countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, based on the analysis of 11 impact categories. The blocks' operation is the most unfavourable for the categories of Terrestrial Acidification Potential (TAP), Global Warming Potential (GWP), Terrestrial Ecotoxicity Potential (TEP) and Ecosystem Quality Loss Potential (EQL), with increments of 804.15 %, 105.36 %, 506.29 % and 210.73 %, respectively, in relation to the average of the rest of the extraction systems analysed. Specifically, the present case study shows 75.18 % higher impacts in the blocks addressed, when compared to the Ecuadorian average. During the period 1999-2022, the carbon emissions associated with the oil extraction in these blocks have increased by 139.01%. It has been detected a neo-colonial economic behaviour: while the Ecuadorian state received 21% of the sales, the Spanish government and the oil companies received, on average, 38% and 41% of the per-litre average fuel price, respectively. Thus, 79% of the income stayed in the Global North. We conclude that, on average, 19.64 % of the impacts associated with crude oil production and consumption occur in the Amazonian region of the YNP, depending on the fuel used and the consumption mechanism. For the Global Warming Potential (GWP) impact category, the extraction process carries, on average, 34.51 % of the weight in all of the life-cycle impacts, depending on the consumption scenario. It was also estimated that to be able to use 0.33 kWh of electricity from fuel combustion, 0.47 kWh of energy for goods transport and 0.20 kWh for passenger transport, an investment of 1 kWh is required, with an average extended EROI of 1:3.33. According to the qualitative analysis performed, it has been concluded that the main local impacts are related to the obstacles in environmental monitoring and information, the economic dependence of the communities on the oil extraction company, and cultural transformations; impacts that are not easily quantifiable or detectable using other methodologies. The combination of the qualitative analysis and LCA showed that the neo-colonial economic distribution did not compensate the social and environmental impacts of the oil extraction occurred in the YNP.

Low thermal conductivity and enhanced thermoelectric properties of Cu-substituted Bi2-xCuxSr2Co2Oy ceramics

The Bi2Sr2Co2Oy ceramic, known for its stability as a p-type thermoelectric material, has limited thermoelectric performance that necessitates enhancement. In this study, Bi2-xCuxSr2Co2Oy (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) ceramic samples were synthesized using the conventional solid-state reaction method. Substitution of Cu2+ for Bi3+ in the samples increased carrier concentration, significantly reducing electrical resistivity. Utilizing the single parabolic band (SPB) model, it was determined that Cu incorporation led to an increased effective mass, thereby enhancing the Seebeck coefficient. Additionally, fine grains and lattice defects induced by Cu2+ substitution effectively scattered phonons, resulting in an ultra-low thermal conductivity of 0.59 Wm−1K−1 at 923 K for the Bi1.8Cu0.2Sr2Co2Oy sample. Consequently, Cu substitution optimized both the electrical and thermal transport properties of Bi2-xCuxSr2Co2Oy samples. The dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) for Bi1.95Cu0.05Sr2Co2Oy reached 0.31 at 923 K, representing a 63 % increase over the pristine Bi2Sr2Co2Oy sample.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties for Eco-friendly CaTiO3 by Band Sharpening and Atomic-Scale Defect Phonon Scattering

CaTiO3-based compounds have emerged as a promising thermoelectric material, renowned for their environmentally benign, thermally stable, and cost-efficient merits. Nonetheless, the pristine CaTiO3 manifests inherently low electronic transport properties. Herein, the thermoelectric properties of Ca1-xDyxTiO3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) compounds are systematically investigated. The electrical transport properties are markedly enhanced by synergistic optimization of the carrier concentration, mobility, and density-of-states effective mass. Density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrate that the conduction band tends to sharper and the lighter band participates in carrier transport after Dy doping. The large discrepancy in atomic mass results in considerable mass fluctuations, which give rise to intense phonon scattering. Benefitting from the modulated band structure and reduced thermal conductivity, the highest ZT of 0.31 is achieved at 1073 K, enhanced by 287.5% in contrast with pristine CaTiO3 (ZTmax = 0.08). The defect and energy band modulation strategies proposed to optimize thermoelectric performance are applicable to other thermoelectric materials. This investigation inspires the exploration of high-performance and eco-friendly high temperature thermoelectric material.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties of 3D printed Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 by atomic interface engineering

The performance of n-type Bi2Te3 materials prepared by selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing technology tends to be lower than p-type materials. Herein, a bottom-up interface engineering strategy based on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is presented to improve the properties of n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 (BTS) materials prepared by SLM. To validate this strategy, a ZnO ultrathin layer was applied to the grain boundaries of BTS, synergistically optimizing carrier/phonon transport. In terms of electrical transport, the energy filtering effect triggered by the constructed ZnO/BTS interface effectively enhances the Seebeck coefficient of the Bi2Te3 material printed by SLM, substantially increasing the power factor. Additionally, the high thermal stability of the ALD-deposited ZnO ultrathin layer effectively suppresses the volatilization of Te in BTS, regulating the carrier concentration. Regarding thermal transport properties, the multiscale defects introduced by the non-equilibrium solidification process during SLM printing cause effective phonon scattering across a wide frequency range, which in turn reduces the thermal conductivity of the material. Atomic-level interface modification in SLM-printed BTS enhanced the ZT value to 1.25. Exploiting this superior thermoelectric performance, a thermoelectric module was constructed. It demonstrated a conversion efficiency of 5.7 % with a temperature difference of 200 K, comparable to the advanced Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric modules. The integration of an ALD interface modification strategy with SLM technology has not only demonstrated potential applications in Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric material development, but also bears significant importance for the accelerated advancement of high-performance thermoelectric materials in other systems.

Strain-modulated electronics enabled by surface piezoelectricity

The strain-induced polarization in a piezoelectric semiconductor is an effective strategy to modulate its current transport. However, the piezoelectricity is degraded by the free charges, and the inevitable compromise of piezoelectricity and semiconductivity severely limits the material choice and device performance. We tackle this dilemma by investigating the polarization caused by broken translational symmetry of a material surface. The ubiquitous surface piezoelectricity of solid materials enables the strain-induced polarization change to control the electrical transport effectively in crystals without bulk piezoelectricity. The Schottky barrier is shown to prohibit the bulk charges from screening the surface polarization. The strain engineering of the barrier height leads to an exponential modulation of the current, and an unprecedented gauge factor of 3.10×108 and an on/off ratio of 2.53×105 are demonstrated. The outstanding tunability of current with the synergistic effect of the surface piezoelectricity and metal-semiconductor contact unlocks the device development from various materials.

Non-Hermitian linear-response theory for spin diffusion in quantum systems

Spin transport theory of non-Hermitian quantum systems, where the non-Hermiticity led to a series of exotic phenomena when the system experiences dissipation to an environment is proposed. The goal is a better understanding of the spin diffusion in the one-dimensional non-Hermitian XXZ model which allows the transport coefficients be computed analytically. Moreover, we analyzed the electric transport in the one-dimensional non-Hermitian Hubbard model which is a very important model of electrons strongly correlated, where we have investigated the effect of non-Hermitian parameters like the imaginary hopping on AC and DC conductivities of the system. We analyzed the large U limit of this model, where such non-Hermiticity contributes with a minus sign in the virtual exchange of quasiparticles and the behavior of the ground state energy and low-lying excitations is reversed.

Mechanically induced stacking faults and their impact on electrical transport properties in SnSe

In van der Waals (vdW) layered thermoelectric materials, stacking faults play a pivotal role in determining their physical and transport properties. However, the absence of effective methods to control these stacking faults has hindered the optimization of transport performance. Here, in situ mechanical transmission electron microscopy techniques are applied to a state-of-the-art vdW thermoelectric compound, SnSe, to manipulate the generation of stacking faults. A comprehensive analysis of the atomic structure of stacking faults is conducted, and energy barrier calculations reveal the slip pathways of interlayer slips inducing these stacking faults. Furthermore, first-principles calculations demonstrate that introducing stacking faults can enhance thermoelectric performance by promoting band convergence and facilitating charge transport. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of stacking faults and present distinctive opportunities for structure manipulation to enhance functional properties in vdW layered materials.

Molecular beam epitaxy growth and doping modulation of topological semimetal NiTe2

In this study, high-quality thin films of the topological semimetal phase NiTe2 were prepared using the molecular beam epitaxy technique, confirmed through x-ray diffraction with pronounced Laue oscillations. Electrical transport experiments reveal that thick films have properties similar to bulk materials. By employing co-deposition, we introduced either magnetic or non-magnetic elements during the growth of thinner films, significantly altering their electrical properties. Notably, the magnetic element Cr induces long-range ferromagnetic ordering, leading to the observation of a significant anomalous Hall effect in NiTe2 thin films. The Hall conductivity remains nearly constant well below the Curie temperature, indicating the correlation with the intrinsic topological nature of the band structure. Theoretical first principles band calculations support the generation of the Weyl semimetal state in the material through magnetic doping. These findings pave the way for exploring more magnetic Weyl semimetals and related low-dimensional quantum devices based on topological semimetals.

Electrical transport characteristics of atomic contact and nanogap dynamically formed by electromigration

The feature size of circuits was gradually reduced to a few nanometers, which is prone to lead to the failure of the metal circuit even upon a low bias voltage due to the electromigration. Therefore, it is essential to understand the electrical transport characteristics of a narrow metal wire shrunk to atomic scale due to electromigration. To this end, we report that the approach for metal deposition and the underneath substrate play a critical role in determining the electron transport behavior. It is observed that the conductance of the narrow metal wire fabricated on a SiO2 substrate first rises and then decreases during the electromigration process when the cross section of the metal wire is reduced to a few atoms. However, such a phenomenon is not observed for the metal wire fabricated on a polyimide substrate. Assisted by component analysis technology, it is revealed that the metal atoms can penetrate into the underneath substrate during the metal deposition process, and the metal atoms buried in the different substrates result in distinguished conductance behavior.

Blurred interface induced control of electrical transport properties in Josephson junctions

The interfacial microstructures of Josephson junctions are vital for understanding the microscopic mechanism to improve the performance of superconducting qubits further. However, there remain significant concerns about well understanding the correlation between atomic structures and electrical behaviors. Here, we propose a new method to define the interface of the barrier in Josephson junctions, and investigate the factors that affect the electrical properties of junctions using material analysis techniques and first principles. We find that the aluminium–oxygen ratio of the interface contributes greatly to the electrical properties of junctions, which is consistent with the conclusions obtained by utilizing the generative adversarial network for data augmentation. When the aluminium–oxygen ratio of the interface is 0.67–1.1, the model exhibits a lower barrier height and better electrical properties of the junction. Moreover, when the thickness of the barrier is fixed, the impact of the aluminium–oxygen ratio becomes prominent. A detailed analysis of Josephson junctions using a microscopic model has led to identifying of process defects that can enhance the yield rate of chips. It has a great boost for determining the relationship between microstructures and macroscopic performances.