Controlling heat flow in a solid by switching crystal structure dimensionalityJust as an electrical
Controlling heat flow in a solid by switching crystal structure dimensionalityJust as an electrical switch regulates the flow of electric current, thermal switches can control the flow of heat. These switches serve as thermal control devices and are useful for thermal management applications. For example, they can be used in industries to reduce waste heat, resulting in cost and energy savings. These switches require materials whose thermal conductivity (κ) can be modulated to a large extent. This would allow the switch to have an “on” and “off” state depending on the thermal conductivity. However, such materials are rare and challenging to develop, and those that have been developed show only small reversible variations in their κ. Now, in a study published in Advanced Electronic Materials, researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, have taken things to the next level with a material that can achieve a large variation in its κ by changing its crystal structure dimensionality. The team achieved this remarkable feat by using a solid solution of lead selenide (PbSe) and tin selenide (SnSe), which can switch between a 3-dimensional (3D) cubic crystal structure and a 2-dimensional (2D) layered crystal structure with changes in temperature.Read more. -- source link
#materials science#science#thermal conductivity#heat flow#crystal structure#lead selenide#tin selenide#selenium#phase transitions