Controlled Defects Can Actually Boost Thermoelectric Material Performance
Researchers say they can enhance the performance of thermoelectric material by a factor of up to 10
BERKELEY, Calif. — In a study at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), exposing certain thermoelectric materials to alpha-particle radiation has been shown to transform the materials into far more powerful versions of themselves.
“We’ve demonstrated that by irradiating a thermoelectric semiconductor with high-energy alpha particles, we can control native defects in the crystal so that these defects actually enhance the performance of the thermoelectric material by a factor of up to 10,” said Junqiao Wu, a physicist who holds joint appointments with LBNL’s Materials Sciences Division and the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “Although this discovery goes against common wisdom, it turns out that when properly managed, a damaged thermoelectric material is a better thermoelectric material.”