Enhanced thermoelectric properties of samarium boride

SmB62 single crystals were successfully grown by the floating zone (FZ) method. The high-temperature thermoelectric properties were investigated, together with magnetic properties and specific heat at low-temperature. The electrical resistivity, ρ, shows variable-range-hopping (VRH) behavior with significantly lower values than other rare-earth RB62 (RB66) compounds. An effective magnetic moment, μeff, of 0.42 μB/Sm was estimated, which if straightforwardly taken indicates a mixed valency for SmB62 with Sm2+:Sm3+ = 1:1, which is the first ever indicated for RB66-type compounds. Localization length of the VRH at the Fermi level, ξ, was estimated to be 3.33 Å indicating that carriers in SmB62 are much less localized than in YB66 which has 0.56 Å. The thermoelectric behavior of SmB62 is striking, with ρ reduced by two orders of magnitude while maintaining large Seebeck coefficients, and as a result the power factor is ∼30 times higher than other rare-earth phases. Overall the figure of merit ZT amounts to ∼0.13 at 1050 K, with an extrapolated value of ∼0.4 at 1500 K, an expected working temperature for topping cycles in thermal power plants; that gives a ∼40 times enhancement for Sm. Since there are few thermoelectric materials applicable for very-high temperature applications, this discovery gives new interest in the samarium higher borides.

Graphical abstractRB62 (RB66) compounds can be considered to be the first actual phonon glass electron crystal (PGEC) system. SmB62 single crystals were successfully grown by the floating zone (FZ) method. Mixed valency of Sm was indicated, which is the first instance in RB66-type compounds. The thermoelectric behavior of SmB62 is striking, with ρ reduced by two orders of magnitude while maintaining large Seebeck coefficients, and as a result the power factor is ∼30 times higher than other rare-earth phases. Overall the figure of merit ZT amounts to ∼0.13 at 1050 K, with an extrapolated value of ∼0.4 at 1500 K, the expected working temperature for topping cycles in thermal power plants; that gives a ∼40 times enhancement for Sm.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide