Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity of Zintl-Phase CaAgSb Induced by Interface and Superlattice Scattering

Zintl phases attract extensive attention due to the characteristic of “electron-crystal, phonon glass”. In this work, an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity ≈0.59 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 300 K and ≈0.3 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 623 K is obtained in CaAgSb Zintl phase, which is much lower than that of other well-known Zintl compounds. The origin of this ultralow lattice thermal conductivity is explored through first-principles calculations and C_s-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Theoretical phonon calculations provide evidence for complex phonon characteristics such as avoided-crossing effect and low-frequency flat band that favor the low lattice thermal conductivity. Moreover, subsequent microstructure results reveal abundant structural defects created in the CaAgSb sample, including superlattice structure and interface structure, which further contribute to the ultralow lattice thermal conductivity.