Composition and Radiation-Induced Variations of Thermal Conductivity in Sn₁-ₓTbₓSe Solid Solutions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In this work, the structural, physicochemical, and thermal transport properties of Sn1-xTbxSe (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) alloys were investigated with respect to terbium concentration and γ-irradiation dose. X-ray diffraction and DTA analyses confirmed the formation of orthorhombic substitutional solid solutions following Vegard’s law, with a slight increase in lattice parameters and microhardness as Tb content increased. The introduction of Tb atoms into the SnSe matrix enhances phonon–defect scattering due to mass fluctuations and lattice distortions, resulting in a pronounced reduction in thermal conductivity, particularly at low doping levels (x ≤ 0.02). Thermal conductivity measurements performed after γ-irradiation (0–6.5 Mrad, ⁶⁰Co source) revealed a general decreasing trend for all compositions. In undoped SnSe, the relative decrease reached ~6%, while in Tb-doped samples, the sensitivity to irradiation was significantly reduced. For doses above 5 Mrad, the dependence k(D) is well described by a linear model with high correlation coefficients. These results demonstrate that Tb incorporation not only suppresses phonon transport, enhancing thermoelectric potential, but also increases the radiation resistance of SnSe-based materials.
Source: East European Journal of Physics
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7153607864