Thermal conductivity of polycrystalline YBa2Cu4O8

• We have measured the thermal conductivity κ and the thermal diffusivity a of a dense bulk ceramic polycrystalline sample of YBa2Cu4O8 (1:2:4) in the temperature range 30–300 K. We find κ≊10 W m-1 K-1 at 100 K, significantly higher than in ceramic YBa2Cu3O7-δ (1:2:3) and approaching the in-plane value for single-crystal 1:2:3, and decreasing to 7.6 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K. The data for this sample can be described by standard theories for phonon thermal conductivity of crystalline materials with boundary, phonon, and electron scattering. The higher κ in 1:2:4 as compared to 1:2:3 is, in this model, due to the smaller point defect scattering in the former. The fitted parameters for the three scattering mechanisms all agree with independent estimates based on simple models; inserting data for electric resistivity, grain size, carrier density, and lattice properties we can predict κ and its T dependence to within about 20%. We also discuss models for the phonon and electron thermal conductivities in some detail, including some second-order effects such as inelastic electron scattering and a T-dependent carrier density.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Annan materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Other Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Thermal conductivity

superconductor

ceramic

high transition temperature

electronic conduction

lattice conduction

electron-phonon interaction

phonon-phonon interaction

YBa2Cu4O8

Condensed matter physics

Kondenserade materiens fysik

fysik

Physics

Materialteknik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)