Dramatically enhanced Seebeck coefficient in GeMnTe2–NaBiTe2 alloys by tuning the Spin's thermodynamic entropy

Abstract

The emerging material GeMnTe₂ provides a rare example to study the spin degree of freedom in thermoelectric transport, as it exhibits an anomalous Seebeck coefficient driven by the spin's thermodynamic entropy. This work presents an unconventional strategy to optimize the thermoelectric performance of GeMnTe₂ by manipulating the spin degree of freedom. NaBiTe₂ is alloyed into GeMnTe₂ to disorder the spin orientation under finite temperature, and the obtained Seebeck coefficient is confirmed to be dramatically enhanced by more than 150%. The measurements of XRD and magnetic susceptibility indicate that the increased Seebeck coefficient is due to the increase of the spin's thermodynamic entropy. Finally, the maximum ZT of 1.06 at 820 K is obtained in Ge_0.8Na_0.1Bi_0.1MnTe₂. This work enriches the physical picture of spin degree of freedom in thermoelectric materials.