The local structure of the AgPbmSbTem+2 series of thermoelectric materials has been studied using the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) method. Three candidate-models were attempted for the structure of this class of materials using either a one-phase or a two-phase modeling procedure. Combining modeling the PDF with HRTEM data we show that AgPbmSbTem+2 contains nanoscale inclusions with composition close to AgPb3SbTe5 randomly embedded in a PbTe matrix.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0508350,
title = {Nanoscale clusters in the high performance thermoelectric AgPbmSbTem+2},
author = {H. Lin and E. S. Bozin and S. J. L. Billinge and E. Quarez and M. G. Kanatzidis},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0508350},
year = {2009}
}