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In this review article, the recent experimental and theoretical research progress in Bi2Se3- and Bi2Te3-based topological insulators is presented, with a focus on the transport properties and modulation of the transport properties by doping with nonmagnetic and magnetic elements. The electrical transport properties are discussed for a few different types of topological insulator heterostructures, such as heterostructures formed by Bi2Se3- and Bi2Te3-based binary/ternary/quaternary compounds and superconductors, nonmagnetic and magnetic metals, or semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing vacancies in oxychalcogenides is an effective paradigm for the improvement of thermoelectric properties by reducing thermal conductivity through phonon scattering as well as by decreasing electrical resistivity via incorporation of holes through vacancies. In this paper, we present thermoelectric properties of Bi1−xCuSeO1−y with y  =  0 for x  =  0, 0.04, and y  =  0.02 for x  =  0.04, 0.08, 0.12. X-ray diffraction studies reveal BiCuSeO as the main phase with trace amounts of Cu1.8Se in Bi0.92CuSeO0.98 and Bi0.88CuSeO0.98. The impurity phases of Cu1.8Se in Bi0.92CuSeO0.98 and Bi0.88CuSeO0.98 could be due to the presence of vacancies. The electrical resistivity of Bi0.96CuSeO0.98 is lower than BiCuSeO, but higher than Bi0.96CuSeO, since Bi vacancies produce holes that are partially compensated by O vacancies. Electrical resistivity decreases with an increase in Bi vacancy content for y  =  0.02. The Seebeck coefficient of samples shows that the similar trend as in electrical resistivity, following Mott’s formula. Total and lattice thermal conductivity of Bi0.96CuSeO is higher than BiCuSeO as well as Bi0.96CuSeO0.98. This increases with further increase in bismuth vacancy. Introduction of vacancies (Bi and O) in BiCuOSe lead to higher thermal conductivities and lower Seebeck coefficients, and result in adverse effect on zT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To employ the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in electronic devices,  their growth on conductive substrates is a prerequisite. Since electronic properties of MWCNT might be influenced by catalyst and substrate, therefore, to understand their influence on the work function and electrical resistance, individual MWCNT needs to be studied. In this report, we have demonstrated the growth of MWCNTs on conducting substrates such as copper, stainless steel, and insulating SiO2 using thermal CVD technique. First, as-grown MWCNTs on different substrates have been characterized with scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, electrical measurements on as-grown individual MWCNT has been performed using electrostatic force microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy. Performed measurements reveal that work function and electrical resistance of MWCNT vary from 4.32 to 5.32 eV and 4-498 kΩ, respectively, depending on the nature of catalyst as well as substrates. We envision that performed study might boost the on-going research activity in the area of MWCNT-based nanoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel thermal interface materials using Ag-doped Ga-based liquid metal were proposed for heat dissipation of electronic packaging and precision equipment. On one hand, the viscosity and fluidity of liquid metal was controlled to prevent leakage; on the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the Ga-based liquid metal was increased up to 46 W/mK by incorporating Ag nanoparticles. A series of experiments were performed to evaluate the heat dissipation performance on a CPU of smart-phone. The results demonstrated that the Ag-doped Ga-based liquid metal pad can effectively decrease the CPU temperature and change the heat flow path inside the smart-phone. To understand the heat flow path from CPU to screen through the interface material, heat dissipation mechanism was simulated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important requirements for the manufacture of refractory mortars, especially those used in the construction of thermal systems (building or plastering), is the balance between thermal insulation properties and porosity. Where, increasing porosity of mortar to a large amount may be always undesirable, because the absorption of liquid and gases emitted from industrial system is decline the bonded with bricks and structural properties of mortars. Refractory mortars prepared from either fired bauxite or metakaolin clays with different percentages of kaolin (10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%). Bauxite rocks were fired at 1200 °C and metakaolin was obtained by firing kaolin up to 700 °C then crushed and grinded. Grog was added to mixture to reduce the shrinkage. Cylindrical specimens are prepared and then sintered at 1200 °C. All mixtures maintained a low thermal conductivity within the limits of thermal insulation material (less than 0.5 W/m K); it was done by controlling the porosity which reached a maximum value approximately 25%. The volumetric heat capacity and thermal diffusivity was ranged between (1-10 MJ/m3 K), (0.06-0.2 mm2/s), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium titanate (STO) is an n-type oxide thermoelectric material, which has shown great prospects in recent years. The doping of La and Nb into STO can improve its power factor, whereas its thermal conductivity is still very high. Thus, in order to obtain a high thermoelectric figure-of-merit zT, it is very important to reduce its thermal conductivity. In this paper, using a combination of a hydrothermal method and a high-efficiency sintering method, we succeed in preparing a composite of pure STO and LaNb-doped STO, which simultaneously realizes lower thermal conductivity and higher Seebeck coefficient, therefore, the thermoelectric properties of STO are significantly improved. In the SrTiO3/LaNb–SrTiO3 bulk samples, the lowest thermal conductivity is 2.57 W·m−1·K−1 and the highest zT is 0.35 at 1000 K for the STO/La10Nb20–STO sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hierarchy of integrable nonlinear evolution equations related to the combined Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Segur (AKNS) and Wadati–Konno–Ichikawa (WKI) spectral problems is proposed, from which the Lax pair for a corresponding negative flow and its infinite many conservation laws are obtained. Furthermore, a reduction of this hierarchy is discussed, by which a generalized sinh-Gordon equation is derived on the basis of its negative flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric (TE) materials have been considered as a strong candidate for recovering the waste heat from industry and vehicles due to the ability to convert heat directly into electricity. Recently, multinary diamond-like chalcogenides (MDLCs), such as CuInTe2, Cu2SnSe3, Cu3SbSe4, Cu2ZnSnSe4, etc., are eco-friendly Pb-free TE materials with relatively large Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity and have aroused intensive research as a popular theme in the TE field. In this review, we summarize the TE performance and device development of MDLCs. The features of crystalline and electronic structure are first analyzed, and then the strategies that have emerged to enhance the TE figure of merits of these materials are illustrated in detail. The final part of this review describes the advance in TE device research for MDLCs. In the outlook, the challenges and future directions are also discussed to promote the further development of MDLCs TE materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents laser melting repair of groove defect on HTCS-150 surface using Nd:YAG laser system. Laser melting process was conducted using JK300HPS Nd:YAG twin lamp laser source with 1064 nm wavelength and pulsed mode. The parameters are pulse repetition frequency (PRF) that is set from 70 to 100 Hz, average power (PA) of 50-70 W, and laser spot size of 0.7 mm. HTCS-150 samples were prepared with groove dimension of 0.3 mm width and depths of 0.5 mm using EDM wire cut. Groove defect repaired using laser melting process on groove surface area with various parameters’ process. The melted surface within the groove was characterized for subsurface hardness profile, roughness, phase identification, chemical composition, and metallographic study. The roughness analysis indicates high PRF at large spot size caused high surface roughness and low surface hardness. Grain refinement of repaired layer was analyzed within the groove as a result of rapid heating and cooling. The hardness properties of modified HTCS inside the groove and the bulk surface increased two times from as received HTCS due to grain refinement which is in agreement with Hall-Petch equation. These findings are significant to parameter design of die repair for optimum surface integrity and potential for repairing crack depth and width of less than 0.5 and 0.3 mm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A further reduction of the thermal conductivity (κ) of silicon-germanium (SiGe) alloys is indispensable for their use as thermoelectric materials. Thus far, heteroatom-doped and nanostructured SiGe systems have been mainly synthesized and tested. This work presents a possibility of reducing the κ of SiGe by alloying with tin (Sn). Our molecular dynamics simulations predict that the κ of ternary SiGeSn alloys can be 40% lower than those of binary SiGe and GeSn alloys due mainly to increased mass disorder scattering of phonons. Our findings provide insight into the mechanism of κ suppression in multielement alloys and guidance on how to design them for thermoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Further to planar single-layer hexagonal structures, GaN and AlN can also form free-standing, single-layer structures constructed from squares and octagons. We performed an extensive analysis of dynamical and thermal stability of these structures in terms of ab initio finite-temperature molecular dynamics and phonon calculations together with the analysis of Raman and infrared active modes. These single-layer square-octagon structures of GaN and AlN display directional mechanical properties and have wide, indirect fundamental band gaps, which are smaller than their hexagonal counterparts. These density functional theory band gaps, however, increase and become wider upon correction. Under uniaxial and biaxial tensile strain, the fundamental band gaps decrease and can be closed. The electronic and magnetic properties of these single-layer structures can be modified by adsorption of various adatoms, or by creating neutral cation-anion vacancies. The single-layer structures attain magnetic moment by selected adatoms and neutral vacancies. In particular, localized gap states are strongly dependent on the type of vacancy. The energetics, binding, and resulting electronic structure of bilayer, trilayer, and three-dimensional (3D) layered structures constructed by stacking the single layers are affected by vertical chemical bonds between adjacent layers. In addition to van der Waals interaction, these weak vertical bonds induce buckling in planar geometry and enhance their binding, leading to the formation of stable 3D layered structures. In this respect, these multilayers are intermediate between van der Waals solids and wurtzite crystals, offering a wide range of tunability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of tritium breeder, neutron multiplier and flow channel insert materials for the breeding blanket of the DEMO reactor is reviewed. Present emphasis is on the ITER test blanket module (TBM); lithium metatitanate (Li2TiO3) and lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) pebbles have been developed by leading TBM parties. Beryllium pebbles have been selected as the neutron multiplier. Good progress has been made in their fabrication; however, verification of the design by experiments is in the planning stage. Irradiation data are also limited, but the decrease in thermal conductivity of beryllium due to irradiation followed by swelling is a concern. Tests at ITER are regarded as a major milestone. For the DEMO reactor, improvement of the breeder has been attempted to obtain a higher lithium content, and Be12Ti and other beryllide intermetallic compounds that have superior chemical stability have been studied. LiPb eutectic has been considered as a DEMO blanket in the liquid breeder option and is used as a coolant to achieve a higher outlet temperature; a SiC flow channel insert is used to prevent magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop and corrosion. A significant technical gap between ITER TBM and DEMO is recognized, and the world fusion community is working on ITER TBM and DEMO blanket development in parallel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the thermal stability of diamond and other superhard materials has great significance in various applications. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of bulk diamond–cBN–B4C–Si composites sintered at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT, 5.2 GPa, 1620–1680 K for 3–5 min). The results show that the diamond, cBN, B4C, BxSiC, SiO2 and amorphous carbon or a little surplus Si are present in the sintered samples. The onset oxidation temperature of 1673 K in the as-synthesized sample is much higher than that of diamond, cBN, and B4C. The high thermal stability is ascribed to the covalent bonds of B–C, C–N, and the solid-solution of BxSiC formed during the sintering process. The results obtained in this work may be useful in preparing superhard materials with high thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium titanate (SrTiO is a promising n-type material for thermoelectric applications. However, its relatively high thermal conductivity limits its performance in efficiently converting heat into electrical power through thermoelectric effect. This work shows that the thermal conductivity of SrTiO can be effectively reduced by annealing treatments, through an integrated study of laser flash measurement, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray absorption fine structure, and first-principles calculations. A phonon scattering model is proposed to explain the reduction of thermal conductivity after annealing. This work suggests a promising means to characterize and optimize the material for thermoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the first-principles method, the structural stability and the contribution of point defects such as O, Sr or Ti vacancies on two-dimensional electron gas of n- and p-type LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces are investigated. The results show that O vacancies at p-type interfaces have much lower formation energies, and Sr or Ti vacancies at n-type interfaces are more stable than the ones at p-type interfaces under O-rich conditions. The calculated densities of states indicate that O vacancies act as donors and give a significant compensation to hole carriers, resulting in insulating behavior at p-type interfaces. In contrast, Sr or Ti vacancies tend to trap electrons and behave as acceptors. Sr vacancies are the most stable defects at high oxygen partial pressures, and the Sr vacancies rather than Ti vacancies are responsible for the insulator-metal transition of n-type interface. The calculated results can be helpful to understand the tuned electronic properties of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lattice thermal conductivities (κ) of binary compound materials are examined as a function of hydrostatic pressure P using a first-principles approach. Compounds with relatively small mass ratios, such as MgO, show an increase in with P, consistent with measurements. Conversely, compounds with large mass ratios that create significant frequency gaps between acoustic and optic phonons (e.g., BSb, BAs, BeTe, BeSe) exhibit decreasing with increasing P, a behavior that cannot be understood using simple theories of. This anomalous P dependence of arises from the fundamentally different nature of the intrinsic scattering processes for heat-carrying acoustic phonons in large mass ratio compounds compared to those with small mass ratios. This work demonstrates the power of first-principles methods for thermal properties and advances a broad paradigm for understanding thermal transport in nonmetals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-based shape memory alloys (SMA) in the range of Cu–(11.8–13.5)Al–(3.2–4)Ni–(2–3)Mn (wt%) exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, combine good mechanical properties with a pronounced shape memory effect, and are low cost (Dutkiewicz et al., 1999). Their processing requires high cooling rates to reduce grain size, prevent decomposition of the ß phase into equilibrium phases, and induce martensite transformation. In this investigation, Cu–11.85Al–3.2Ni–3Mn (wt%) shape memory alloy was processed by spray forming, a rapid solidification technique that involves cooling rates of 10 1 to 10 4 K/s, to determine the potential of producing deposits with adequate microstructure, homogeneity and porosity for the manufacture of SMA near net shape parts. To this end, 5.2 kg of alloy with nominal composition was atomized with nitrogen gas under a pressure of 0.5 MPa and a gas–metal ratio (GMR) of 1.93. The atomized material was deposited at 60 rpm on a rotating steel substrate positioned 350 mm below the gas nozzle. The microstructure of the deposit was characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. The deposit with an effective diameter of 240 mm and 75 mm height presented equiaxial grains with a martensite microstructure. Grain sizes varied from 25 μm in the lower region (contact with the steel substrate) to 160 μm in the upper region of the deposit. Measurements of the reverse martensite transformation temperature of the deposit in different regions revealed its strong influence on the grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound is prepared by solid state reaction of stoichiometric amounts of the elements (glassy carbon crucible in evacuated silica ampules, 1073 K, 12 d). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of lithium for energy storage and electric cars. It mentions the capability of lithium as the primary ingredient of the lithium-ion batteries to power the next generation of electric vehicles. It notes that lithium's chemical, physical, and electrochemical properties make the element and its compounds attractive to many fields. Moreover, it states that lithium has also been used by engineers for heat-transfer applications.

A new method for the measurement of thermal conductivity of electrically conducting single nanowires is presented. First experimental investigations are focused on the thermal conductivity of metallic Pt nanowires with a diameter of (typically) 100 nm and a length of 10 um. Thermal conductivity data are compared with measurements of electrical conductivity in order to test the Wiedemann-Franz law for metallic nanowires. Compared to the bulk values at room temperature, electrical and thermal conductivities of the nanowire are decreased by a factor of 2.5 and 3.4, respectively. Consequently, the Lorenz number L = l/sT = 1.82 x 10[?]8 V2 K[?]2 of the nanowire is smaller than the bulk Lorenz number Lbulk = (p2/3)(k/e)2 = 2.44 x 10[?]8 V2 K[?]2 of metals. Furthermore, the temperature coefficient b of electrical resistivity is also reduced compared to the bulk value. These decreases of l, s and b can be attributed to size effects, mainly caused by grain boundary scattering of electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of a prototype flat micro heat pipe (FMHP) of a size appropriate for mobile electronics and its performance test results are reported. To ensure reliable operation under repeated thermal loads and to enhance the heat transport capacity, copper is selected as the packaging material considering its high thermal conductivity and good strength. The wick structure of the FMHP consists of fan-shaped microgrooves with a width and depth of about 100 and 200 µm, respectively. The fabrication of microgrooves was done using a laser micromachining technique and water was used as the working fluid. Fan-shaped microgrooves were found to induce a greater capillary pressure than triangular microgrooves of a similar size. Subsequent test results confirmed that despite its small size, 56 mm (L) × 8 mm (W) × 1.5 mm (H), the FMHP had a high heat transport capacity; the maximum heat transfer rate was 8 W under stable operation conditions and 13 W at the dryout point. In addition, the FMHP worked under adverse-gravity conditions with little change in cooling capacity, a key advantage for application in modern mobile electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using bulk micromachining, meander-shaped resistor elements consisting of 20 nm Cr and 200 nm Au were fabricated on 1 μm thick silicon nitride membranes, bridges, and cantilevers. The resistance change as a function of pressure depends strongly on the thermal resistance of the two metal lines connecting the heated resistor to the silicon bulk (cold junction) and on the thermal resistance of the silicon nitride. Relative resistance changes ranging from about 3% (small membrane) to 20% (bridge) per mW of input power were obtained when operating the devices in constant voltage mode. The pressure where maximum sensitivity of these gauges occurs depends on the distance 'd' between the periphery of the heated resistor element and the silicon cold junction. Devices with 'd' ranging from 50 μm to 1,200 μm were fabricated. Assuming that pressures can be reliably measured above the 10% and below the 90% points of the resistance versus pressure curve, the range of these devices is about two orders of magnitude. By integrating two devices, one with d = 65 μm and one with d = 1,200 μm on the same chip and connecting them in series, the range can be increased by about a factor of three. By fabricating the cantilever devices so that they curl upon release, it will be shown that these devices also exhibit larger range due to varying 'd'.