Filters

2018 - 20192

More filters

20202
Reset filters

Settings

Subject: energy efficiency × WGL Institute: IFWD ×

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Switchable magnetic bulk photovoltaic effect in the two-dimensional magnet CrI3
    (London : Nature Publishing Group, 2019) Zhang, Y.; Holder, T.; Ishizuka, H.; de Juan, F.; Nagaosa, N.; Felser, C.; Yan, B.
    The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) rectifies light into the dc current in a single-phase material and attracts the interest to design high-efficiency solar cells beyond the pn junction paradigm. Because it is a hot electron effect, the BPVE surpasses the thermodynamic Shockley–Queisser limit to generate above-band-gap photovoltage. While the guiding principle for BPVE materials is to break the crystal centrosymmetry, here we propose a magnetic photogalvanic effect (MPGE) that introduces the magnetism as a key ingredient and induces a giant BPVE. The MPGE emerges from the magnetism-induced asymmetry of the carrier velocity in the band structure. We demonstrate the MPGE in a layered magnetic insulator CrI3, with much larger photoconductivity than any previously reported results. The photocurrent can be reversed and switched by controllable magnetic transitions. Our work paves a pathway to search for magnetic photovoltaic materials and to design switchable devices combining magnetic, electronic, and optical functionalities.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Large thermoelectric power factor from crystal symmetry-protected non-bonding orbital in half-Heuslers
    (London : Nature Publishing Group, 2018) Zhou, J.; Zhu, H.; Liu, T.-H.; Song, Q.; He, R.; Mao, J.; Liu, Z.; Ren, W.; Liao, B.; Singh, D.J.; Ren, Z.; Chen, G.
    Modern society relies on high charge mobility for efficient energy production and fast information technologies. The power factor of a material-the combination of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient-measures its ability to extract electrical power from temperature differences. Recent advancements in thermoelectric materials have achieved enhanced Seebeck coefficient by manipulating the electronic band structure. However, this approach generally applies at relatively low conductivities, preventing the realization of exceptionally high-power factors. In contrast, half-Heusler semiconductors have been shown to break through that barrier in a way that could not be explained. Here, we show that symmetry-protected orbital interactions can steer electron-acoustic phonon interactions towards high mobility. This high-mobility regime enables large power factors in half-Heuslers, well above the maximum measured values. We anticipate that our understanding will spark new routes to search for better thermoelectric materials, and to discover high electron mobility semiconductors for electronic and photonic applications.