Composition and Radiation-Induced Variations of Thermal Conductivity in Sn₁-ₓTbₓSe Solid Solutions

  • T.A. Jafarov Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • H.A. Aslanov Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • A.M. Allahverdiyev Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • O.M. Gasanov Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4888-7686
  • J.I. Huseynov Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4498-2400
  • Kh.A. Adgezalova Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • G.A. Garashova Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • I.I. Abbasov Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Baku, Azerbaijan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8111-2642
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26565/2312-4334-2026-1-21
Keywords: Thermal conductivity, Phonon scattering, Radiation resistance, γ-irradiation, Solid solutions, Orthorhombic structure, Defect formation, Thermoelectric materials, Lattice distortion, Mass fluctuation scattering

Abstract

In this work, the structural, physicochemical, and thermal transport properties of Sn1-xTbxSe (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) alloys were investigated with respect to terbium concentration and γ-irradiation dose. X-ray diffraction and DTA analyses confirmed the formation of orthorhombic substitutional solid solutions following Vegard’s law, with a slight increase in lattice parameters and microhardness as Tb content increased. The introduction of Tb atoms into the SnSe matrix enhances phonon–defect scattering due to mass fluctuations and lattice distortions, resulting in a pronounced reduction in thermal conductivity, particularly at low doping levels (x ≤ 0.02). Thermal conductivity measurements performed after γ-irradiation (0–6.5 Mrad, ⁶⁰Co source) revealed a general decreasing trend for all compositions. In undoped SnSe, the relative decrease reached ~6%, while in Tb-doped samples, the sensitivity to irradiation was significantly reduced. For doses above 5 Mrad, the dependence k(D) is well described by a linear model with high correlation coefficients. These results demonstrate that Tb incorporation not only suppresses phonon transport, enhancing thermoelectric potential, but also increases the radiation resistance of SnSe-based materials.

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Published
2026-03-14
Cited
How to Cite
Jafarov, T., Aslanov, H., Allahverdiyev, A., Gasanov, O., Huseynov, J., Adgezalova, K., Garashova, G., & Abbasov, I. (2026). Composition and Radiation-Induced Variations of Thermal Conductivity in Sn₁-ₓTbₓSe Solid Solutions. East European Journal of Physics, (1), 208-215. https://doi.org/10.26565/2312-4334-2026-1-21
Issue
No. 1 (2026): East European Journal of Physics
Section
Original Papers

Copyright (c) 2026 T.A. Jafarov, H.A. Aslanov, A.M. Allahverdiyev, O.M. Gasanov, J.I. Huseynov, Kh.A. Adgezalova, G.A. Garashova, I.I. Abbasov

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