0000000000315934
AUTHOR
Sven Heinz
Hole localization in thermoelectric half-Heusler (Zr0.5Hf0.5)Co(Sb1−xSn ) thin films
Abstract The (Ti, Zr, Hf)Co(Sb 1 − x Snx) material class has recently come into focus as an attractive p-type high-temperature thermoelectric material. This study experimentally demonstrates that homogeneous, highly textured (Zr0.5Hf0.5)Co(Sb 1 − x Snx) thin films can be grown on single crystalline MgO. By varying the sputter power, samples with both positive and negative Seebeck coefficient can be grown. The underlying reason for the sign change is the segregation of Sn nano-inclusions, which lower the effective doping of the half-Heusler matrix. Similarly the Hall constant also switches sign at low temperatures, which is modeled assuming semi-metal behavior and low temperature hole locali…
The challenge in realizing an exchange coupled BiFeO3-double perovskite bilayer
Abstract In this work we propose a device design for efficient voltage control of magnetism. The magnetization of a ferrimagnetic double perovskite may be manipulated by an exchange coupled layer of multiferroic BiFeO3. Bilayers of Barium doped BiFeO3 and ferrimagnetic double perovskite Sr2FeMoO6 have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition motivated by the possibility of strong interlayer exchange coupling. While single layers of each material show high quality we observe that in both stacking orders the first layer decomposes during the deposition of the second layer. The reason for the decomposition are strongly differing growth conditions for BiFeO3 and Sr2FeMoO6. This means that the g…
Subamorphous thermal conductivity of crystalline half-Heusler superlattices
The quest to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit has mainly followed the roadmap of lowering the thermal conductivity while keeping unaltered the power factor of the material. Ideally an electron-crystal phonon-glass system is desired. In this work, we report an extraordinary reduction of the cross-plane thermal conductivity in crystalline (TiNiSn):(HfNiSn) half-Heusler superlattices (SLs). We create SLs with thermal conductivities below the effective amorphous limit, which is kept in a large temperature range (120–300 K). We measured thermal conductivity at room temperature values as low as 0.75 W m−1 K−1, the lowest thermal conductivity value reported so far for half-Heusler compou…
Topoisomerase 1 inhibition suppresses inflammatory genes and protects from death by inflammation
Unwinding DNA and unleasing inflammation Fighting infections often comes with collateral damage, which sometimes can be deadly. For instance, in septic shock, the overwhelming release of inflammatory mediators drives multi-organ failure. Rialdi et al. now report a potential new therapeutic target for controlling excessive inflammation: the DNA unwinding enzyme topoisomerase I (Top1) (see the Perspective by Pope and Medzhitov). Upon infection, Top1 specifically localizes to the promoters of pathogen-induced genes and promotes their transcription by helping to recruit RNA polymerase II. Pharmacological inhibition of Top1 in a therapeutic setting increased survival in several mouse models of s…
Phonon Bridge Effect in Superlattices of Thermoelectric TiNiSn/HfNiSn With Controlled Interface Intermixing
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