Theoretical prospective of quasicrystals as thermoelectric materials

Abstract

In this work we present a theoretical study on the possible use of quasicrystals as potential thermoelectric materials. By considering a suitable model for the spectral conductivity we show that high values of the thermoelectric figure of merit, beyond the practical upper limit ZT=1, may be expected for certain quasicrystalline alloys. We also study their performance at different working temperature ranges, favoring low temperature thermoelectric applications for these materials. By comparing our analytical results with available experimental data on the transport coefficients of different quasicrystalline families. we suggest the icosahedral Cd-Yb and the dodecagonal Ta-Te binary phases as two promising candidates for further research.