Project Details
Projekt
Nanostructured Heusler-compounds as model systems for thermoelectric materials
Applicants
Privatdozent Dr. Benjamin Balke; Professorin Dr. Claudia Felser; Professor Dr. Gerhard Jakob; Professorin Dr. Anke Weidenkaff
Subject Area
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Term
from 2009 to 2020
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 121583221
We focus on Heusler compounds as model systems for nanostructured thermoelectric materials. In a combined effort of theory and experiment we implement Heusler nanostructures by complementary ’top down’ and ‘botttom up’ approaches. The theory project (Felser) selects the materials and material combinations based on first principle calculations of the electronic structure and transport properties. A special focus will be given to the calculation of interface properties of the nanostructured materials. The nanostructured materials are prepared as artificial superlattice structures using a ‘bottom up’ strategy (Jakob) and as spontaneously phase separated bulk materials in a ’top down’ approach (Balke+Populoh). A careful characterization of structural and thermoelectric properties (Weidenkaff+Populoh) is essential in order to achieve reliable structure-property relationships. A fast information interchange between the different experiments and the theory project is established. This allows to improve iteratively the quality of the samples and to implement the realistic sample structure in the calculations in this funding period. With such a close cooperation a detailed understanding how nanostructuring influences the thermoelectric properties of Heusler materials will be achieved.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
