Evidence of Ferroelectric Distortions in Topological Crystalline Insulators via Transverse Thermoelectric Measurements
The transverse thermoelectric (Nernst) effect is a powerful probe for studying the electronic and structural properties of materials. In this study, we employ transverse thermoelectric measurements to investigate the ferroelectric distortion in the topological crystalline insulator (TCI) Pb<sub>0.60</sub>Sn<sub>0.40</sub>Te, a compound derived from PbTe and SnTe, known for their exceptional thermoelectric performance and distinct ferroelectric properties. By leveraging Nernst measurements, we provide direct evidence of ferroelectric distortion in this TCI, corroborated by Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations that confirm the presence of two topologically nontrivial Fermi pockets. Density functional theory calculations show that these pockets originate from the <i>L</i> and <i>T</i> points in the Brillouin zone of the distorted structure within the TCI phase. Raman spectroscopy further identifies a structural phase transition below 50 K, consistent with the quantum oscillation observations. This observation is further substantiated by temperature-dependent synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function analysis and transmission electron microscopy, which confirm the local off-centering of cations at low temperature. These findings underscore the potential of transverse thermoelectric measurements in unveiling ferroelectric distortions and their role in modulating topological quantum states, opening new directions for research into the synergy between ferroelectricity and topological phases.
Authors
- Claudia Felser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9424-0950)
- Maia G. Vergniory (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7336-3062)
- Moinak Dutta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7166-7206)
- Subhajit Roychowdhury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1808-9432)
- P. Lemmens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0894-3412)
- M. Yao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7487-1314)
- Mikel Iraola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4228-9864)
- Iñigo Robredo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1641-354X)
- Ning Mao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7062-2217)
- Nikolai Peshcherenko
- Poonam Negi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3722-991X)
- Premakumar Yanda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9798-1236)
- Chandra Shekhar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3330-0400)
- Krishnendu Maji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0796-3347)
- Sharona Horta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3259-1218)
- Yang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3623-5883)
- María Ibáñez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5013-2843)
- Bin He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0766-4139)
- Denis Ukolov
Institutions
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (AT)
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal (IN)
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (DE)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (DE)
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LU)
- Yukhnovskii Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (UA)
- University of Houston (US)
- Donostia International Physics Center (ES)
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
- Technische Universität Braunschweig (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Published
- 2025-05-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c01700
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.04
Funders
- Werner Siemens-Stiftung
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva
- Eusko Jaurlaritza
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal