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Manipulating diverse degrees of freedom in MnTe: Pathways toward enhanced thermoelectric performance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Manganese telluride (MnTe) is a promising mid- to high-temperature thermoelectric system, featuring strong coupling among charge, heat, and spin transport. Its antiferromagnetic order, persistent magnetic excitations, Mn 3d–Te 5p hybridization, structural polymorphism, and rich defect chemistry provide multiple degrees of freedom for tailoring thermoelectric properties. This Review offers a comprehensive overview of MnTe-based thermoelectrics from five interconnected perspectives: spin, charge, orbital, lattice, and phase. We discuss how spin entropy and magnon-related transport, charge carrier characters, band and orbital engineering, multiscale phonon scattering, and impurities can be individually and cooperatively manipulated to enhance thermoelectric performance. Through such multidimensional materials engineering, the peak thermoelectric figure of merit has increased from below unity in pristine MnTe to above 1.6 in optimized compositions. We further examine recent advances and remaining challenges in device development, including performance integration, stability, and practical implementation. Our Review highlights the essence of coordinated control over multiple degrees of freedom and advocates the materials-to-device design strategy for advancing MnTe-based thermoelectrics toward broader energy-conversion applications.

Source: Applied Physics Reviews

DOI: 10.1063/5.0322469

Authors: Asmaa Ebrahim, Meng Li, Xiao-Lei Shi, Zhi-Gang Chen

Institution: Queensland University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Queensland University of Technology, Australian Research Council