Optimizing thermoelectric performance of SnTe via alloying with AgSnSe2 and PbTe

Eco-friendly SnTe is considered as one of the potential candidates to replace PbTe for thermoelectric applications. Unfortunately, pristine SnTe possesses a relatively high thermal conductivity, which is detrimental for its performance. Generally, introducing additional phonon scattering through atomic disorder is a simple and reliable method to suppress the thermal conductivity of a material. However, the strong disorder is usually harmful for …