Ambipolar thermoelectric performance enabled by low lattice thermal conductivity and high-mobility carriers in (, Br, I) antiperovskites
Phys. Rev. B 113, 195149 – Published 26 May, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/cybt-83xz
Abstract
High thermoelectric efficiency has been reported in several antiperovskites, but strongly unbalanced n- and p-type thermoelectric performances still limit practical device integration. Here, we show that (X = Cl, Br, I) antiperovskites exhibit simultaneously favorable p- and n-type transport, and that halogen substitution further improves this ambipolar behavior through coupled lattice and electronic mechanisms. On the lattice side, heavier halogens soften the Ag-X framework and strengthen anharmonic phonon scattering, which markedly lowers the lattice thermal conductivity and helps drive the materials toward a glasslike transport regime. On the electronic side, halogen substitution modifies the relative contributions and hybridization of Ag-4d and chalcogen/halogen p states near the valence-band edge; together with the stronger spin–orbit coupling in the iodide, this leads to enhanced valence-band degeneracy while retaining sufficient band dispersion. As a result, exhibits ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (0.29 W/m K) and high carrier mobility (10–200 ), achieving a maximum power factor of 2.5 . Under optimal doping, at 800 K reaches ≈2.42 for p-type and ≈1.87 for n-type carriers. These results identify compounds as promising ambipolar thermoelectric materials and highlight how lattice anharmonicity and band-edge reconstruction can be combined to optimize heat and charge transport.