High thermoelectric performance realized through manipulating layered phonon-electron decoupling

Thermoelectric materials allow for direct conversion between heat and electricity, offering the potential for power generation. The average dimensionless figure of merit ZT_ave determines device efficiency. N-type tin selenide crystals exhibit outstanding three-dimensional charge and two-dimensional phonon transport along the out-of-plane direction, contributing to a high maximum figure of merit Z_max of ~3.6 × 10⁻³ per kelvin but a moderate ZT_ave of ~1.1. We found an attractive high Z_max of ~4.1 × 10⁻³ per kelvin at 748 kelvin and a ZT_ave of ~1.7 at 300 to 773 kelvin in chlorine-doped and lead-alloyed tin selenide crystals by phonon-electron decoupling. The chlorine-induced low deformation potential improved the carrier mobility. The lead-induced mass and strain fluctuations reduced the lattice thermal conductivity. Phonon-electron decoupling plays a critical role to achieve high-performance thermoelectrics.