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Due to the inferior thermoelectric performance of metals, the semiconductor-to-metal transition in thermoelectric materials is always avoided. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that α-to-β semiconductor-metal transition in MgAgSb is actually not detrimental but can be strategically exploited to create α/β-MgAgSb junction, enabling 150% enhancement in output power while maintaining high conversion efficiency. This power enhancement lies in the significantly reduced internal resistance induced by semiconductor-to-metal transition, which is independent of dimensional changes. Consequently, α/β-MgAgSb can simultaneously achieve high maximum conversion efficiency exceeding 10% (9%) and maximum power density above 1 (0.9) W cm-2 by simulation (experiment), outperforming most p-type materials under identical conditions. Additionally, a two-pair thermoelectric module combining α/β-MgAgSb with n-type Mg3Sb0.6Bi1.4 achieves an unprecedented power density, representing significant advancements over existing Mg3(Sb,Bi)2/MgAgSb two-pair system. These findings highlight the immense potential of α/β-MgAgSb for thermoelectric applications and provide insights into the design of high-power thermoelectrics.

Rights:

• Creative Commons BY-NC Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
  

Keyword: thermoelectric

Date published: 2025-07-04

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Journal:

• Science Advances (ISSN: 23752548) vol. 11 issue. 27 eadx7115

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Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

MDR DOI:

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx7115

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Updated at: 2025-11-11 12:30:30 +0900

Published on MDR: 2025-11-11 12:22:34 +0900