中国物理B ›› 2024, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (8): 86804-086804.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ad50c4
Surface evolution of thermoelectric material KCu4Se3 explored by scanning tunneling microscopy
Yumin Xia(夏玉敏)1,2, Ni Ma(马妮)3,4, Desheng Cai(蔡德胜)1,2, Yuzhou Liu(刘宇舟)1,2, Yitong Gu(谷易通)1,2, Gan Yu(于淦)1,2, Siyu Huo(霍思宇)1,2, Wenhui Pang(庞文慧)1,2, Chong Xiao(肖翀)3,4,5, and Shengyong Qin(秦胜勇)1,2,6,†
- 1 International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale (HFNL), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
2 CAS Key Laboratory of Strong Coupled Quantum Matter Physics, Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
3 Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
4 Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230031, China;
5 Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Dalian 116023, China;
6 Hefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230088, China
Surface evolution of thermoelectric material KCu4Se3 explored by scanning tunneling microscopy
Yumin Xia(夏玉敏)1,2, Ni Ma(马妮)3,4, Desheng Cai(蔡德胜)1,2, Yuzhou Liu(刘宇舟)1,2, Yitong Gu(谷易通)1,2, Gan Yu(于淦)1,2, Siyu Huo(霍思宇)1,2, Wenhui Pang(庞文慧)1,2, Chong Xiao(肖翀)3,4,5, and Shengyong Qin(秦胜勇)1,2,6,†
- 1 International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale (HFNL), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
2 CAS Key Laboratory of Strong Coupled Quantum Matter Physics, Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
3 Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
4 Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230031, China;
5 Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Dalian 116023, China;
6 Hefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230088, China
摘要： Novel two-dimensional thermoelectric materials have attracted significant attention in the field of thermoelectric due to their low lattice thermal conductivity. A comprehensive understanding of their microscopic structures is crucial for driving further the optimization of materials properties and developing novel functional materials. Here, by using in situ scanning tunneling microscopy, we report the atomic layer evolution and surface reconstruction on the cleaved thermoelectric material KCu$_{4}$Se$_{3}$ for the first time. We clearly revealed each atomic layer, including the naturally cleaved K atomic layer, the intermediate Se$^{2-}$ atomic layer, and the Se$^{-}$ atomic layer that emerges in the thermodynamic-stable state. Departing from the majority of studies that predominantly concentrate on macroscopic measurements of the charge transport, our results reveal the coexistence of potassium disorder and complex reconstructed patterns of selenium, which potentially influences charge carrier and lattice dynamics. These results provide direct insight into the surface microstructures and evolution of KCu$_{4}$Se$_{3}$, and shed useful light on designing functional materials with superior performance.
中图分类号: (Thermal stability; thermal effects)
- 68.60.Dv