Thermoelectric Properties of Quasicrystalline Approximate Fe₄Al₁₃

Thermoelectric materials have an intrinsic property that allows for the direct conversion between thermal energy and electrical energy. This property can be used to design thermoelectric devices, but, owing to the relatively low efficiency currently seen in thermoelectric materials (and the devices made from them), their use is limited. This efficiency can be measured using the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT. The ZT of Fe₄Al₁₃ is of great interest because of the unusual crystal structure of this material. Though not a true quasicrystal, this quasicrystal approximate has distorted lattice positions that may create scattering centers during the phonon transport to decrease the lattice thermal conductivity, and therefore increase the ZT. We will report on the detailed investigation on the thermoelectric properties of Fe₄Al₁₃ single crystals that were grown in an Al self-flux. Data from powder X-Ray diffraction, EDS, magnetization, and heat capacity will also be presented.