As existing energy sources have been depleting at a fast pace, thermoelectric (TE) materials have received much attention in recent years because of their role in clean energy generation and conversion. Thermoelectric materials hold promise in terrestrial applications such as waste heat recovery. Bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3), lead telluride (PbTe), skutterudites CoSb3, and Bi-Sb alloys are among the widely investigated thermoelectric materials. Synthesis of above mentioned thermoelectric materials in nanostructured form and their characterization were investigated. Highly crystalline Bi2Se3, undoped and indium (In) doped PbTe, unfilled and ytterbium (Yb) filled CoSb3 nanomaterials were synthesized using hydrothermal/solvothermal technique and Ca-doped Bi-Sb alloy was synthesized using ball milling method. The mechanism of indium doping to the PbTe matrix was investigated using X-ray diffraction, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and a first principle calculation. It was found that indium doping, at a level below 2%, is substitution on Pb site. The effects of the amount of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the reducing agent and the annealing treatment on the phase transition of CoSb3 were investigated. It was found that a sufficient amount of NaBH4 along with the specific annealing condition was needed for the formation of pure phase CoSb3. Thermoelectric properties of Bi2Se3 and Ca-doped Bi85Sb15 were also investigated. A lower thermal conductivity and a higher Seebeck coefficient were achieved for a Bi2Se3 sample prepared in dimethyl formamide (DMF) at 200ºC for 24 h as compared to bulk Bi2Se3. The decrease in thermal conductivity can be attributed to the increased phonon scattering at the interfaces of the nanostructures and at the grain boundaries in the bulk nanocomposite. The increase in the Seebeck coefficient of Bi2Se3 nanostructures is likely the result of the quantum confinement of the carriers in nanostructures. The effect of calcium doping on Bi85Sb15 nanostructures were investigated. It was found that 2% calcium doped Bi-Sb alloy showed the best TE efficiency due to the enhanced power factor and reduced thermal conductivity.

Bismuth selenide belongs to a class of topological insulators---materials characterized by a intriguing electronic band structure, with a characteristic Dirac conical band on the surface. In this master thesis, the optical response of this material is explored in the infrared spectral range and in a broad range of magnetic fields. We mainly focus on the absorption of light due to free charge carriers having, when the magnetic field is applied, a form of cyclotron resonance. We find that the experimentally observed response is consistent with expectations for massive electrons in bulk rather than massless particles on the surface.

Submitted by Bruna Rodrigues (bruna92rodrigues@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-20T13:42:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCDM.pdf: 3450913 bytes, checksum: 84b54d1d49257840a2f202608f7dba57 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T13:02:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCDM.pdf: 3450913 bytes, checksum: 84b54d1d49257840a2f202608f7dba57 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T13:02:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCDM.pdf: 3450913 bytes, checksum: 84b54d1d49257840a2f202608f7dba57 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-21T13:02:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCDM.pdf: 3450913 bytes, checksum: 84b54d1d49257840a2f202608f7dba57 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-26 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / The present work is based on the literature related to the Bi2Se3 compound, which is present in current researches as a topological insulator and is also well known for thermoelectricity applications. In this work the electrochemical synthesis of a material containing Bi, Se and X (X = Cu, Fe or Co) was carried out searching for a composition of Bi and Se in accordance with the stoichiometry of Bi2Se3. The third element, X, was used in the electrodeposition baths considering the Bi2Se3 literature, which presents doping and interaction with other elements for this compound. The synthesis conditions were determined based on studies using cyclic voltammetry. The main material studied was the ternary compound containing Bi, Se and Cu. The films obtained were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. It was found out that baths containing sulfuric acid were adequate for obtaining films of Bi, Se and Cu but a bath containing glycerol and sodium citrate was necessary for including Fe on the material. Some magnetic properties of the films obtained were also studied and paramagnetic behaviour was observed for the samples. / O presente trabalho fundamente-se na literatura relacionada com o composto Bi2Se3. Esse composto está presente na literatura atual de isolantes topológicos e também é conhecido por suas propriedades termoelétricas. Nesse trabalho foi realizada a síntese eletroquímica de um material contendo Bi, Se e X (X = Cu, Fe or Co) buscando obter composições de Bi e Se adequadas à estequiometria do Bi2Se3. O terceiro elemento, X, foi utilizado nos banhos de eletrodeposição considerando estudos da literatura para o Bi2Se3 que tratam de sua dopagem ou interação com outros elementos. As condições de síntese foram determinadas com base em estudos utilizando voltametria cíclica. O principal material estudado foi o composto ternário de Bi, Se e Cu. Os filmes obtidos foram caracterizados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, espectroscopia dispersiva de raios X, difração de raios X e espectroscopia Raman. Foi verificado que banhos contendo ácido sulfúrico foram adequados para obter filmes de Bi, Se e Cu, mas um banho contendo glicerol e citrato de sódio foi necessário para incluir Fe no material. Algumas propriedades magnéticas dos filmes obtidos também foram estudadas e o comportamento paramagnético foi observado para as amostras.

Dans cette thèse, j’étudie la compressibilité électronique de deux isolants topologiques tridimensionnels : Le tellurure de mercure (HgTe) sous contrainte et le séléniure de bismuth (Bi2Se3).Je présente des mesures d’admittance électronique à basse température résolues en phase sur une large gamme de fréquence. Cela permet d’extraire la capacité quantique associé à la densité d’états et la résistivité des matériaux étudiés.Nous montrons qu’un isolant topologique intrinsèque présente une réponse dominée par les états de surface topologiques sur une large gamme d’énergie qui s’étend au-delà du gap de transport du matériau massif. Ce régime, appelé « écrantage de Dirac », est caractérisé par une compressibilité électronique proportionnelle à l’énergie de surface et une haute mobilité.Dans la suite, nous nous intéressons à la limite de ce régime. Nous observons qu’à haute énergie et sous l’influence de forts champs électriques perpendiculaires, des états excités massifs de surface sont peuplés ce qui se manifeste expérimentalement de différentes façons : Une chute dans la constante de diffusion électronique, un pic de conductivité ainsi que l’apparition d’un deuxième type de porteurs en magnéto-transport et de métastabilité dans la relation charge-tension.Un modèle théorique basé sur un traitement quasi-relativiste du Hamiltonien de surface est présenté. Il permet d’identifier la dépendance en énergie et champ électrique des états massifs de surface.Cette thèse est complémenté par des résultats expérimentaux sur Bi2Se3 obtenu par croissance sur nitrure de bore mettent en évidence l’importance de la pureté des interfaces d’isolants topologiques. / This thesis discusses the electronic compressibility of two representative three dimensional topological insulators: Strained mercury telluride (HgTe) and bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3).I present low temperature phase-sensitive electron admittance data over a broad frequency range. This allows to extract the quantum capacitance related to the density of states and the resistivity of the investigated materials.We show that the response of an intrinsic topological insulator is dominated by topological surface states over a large energy range exceeding the bulk material’s transport gap. This regime, named “Dirac screening” is characterized by an electron compressibility proportional to the surface Fermi level and a high mobility.Subsequently, we investigate the limits of this regime. At high energy and large perpendicular electric fields we observe the population of excited massive surface states. Experimentally, these manifest themselves in multiple signatures: A drop in the electronic diffusion constant, a peak in the conductivity, appearance of a second carrier type in magneto-transport and meta-stability in the charge-voltage relation.A theoretical model based on a quasi-relativistic treatment of the surface Hamiltonian is presented. It allows to identify the electric field and energy dependence of the massive surface states.This thesis is complemented by experimental results on Bi2Se3 grown on boron nitride, where we demonstrate the importance of clean surfaces for the study of electronic properties in topological insulators.

Na busca de um melhor entendimento das propriedades eletrônicas e magnéticas dos isolantes topológicos nos deparamos com uma das suas caraterísticas mais marcantes, a existência de estados de superfície metálicos com textura helicoidal de spin os quais são protegidos de impurezas não magnéticas. Na superfície estes canais de spin possuem um potencial enorme para aplicações em dispositivos spintrônicos. Muito há para se fazer e o tratamento via cálculos de primeiros princípios por simulações permite um caráter preditivo que corrobora na elucidação de fenômenos físicos via análises experimentais. Nesse trabalho analisamos as propriedades eletrônicas de isolantes topológicos tais como: (Bi,Sb)$_2$(Te,Se)$_3$, Germaneno e Germaneno funcionalizado. Cálculos baseados em DFT evidenciam a importância das separações entre as camadas de Van der Waals nos materiais Bi$_2$Se$_3$ e Bi$_2$Te$_3$. Mostramos que devido a falhas de empilhamento, pequenas oscilações no eixo de QLs (\\textit{Quintuple Layers}) podem gerar um desacoplamento dos cones de Dirac, além de criar estados metálicos na fase \\textit{bulk} de Bi$_2$Te$_3$. Em se tratando do Bi$_2$Se$_3$ um estudo sistemático dos efeitos de impurezas de metais de transição foi realizado. Observamos que há quebra de degenerescência do cone de Dirac se houver magnetização em quaisquer dos eixos. Além disso se a magnetização permanecer no plano, além de uma pequena quebra de degenerescência, há um deslocamento do mesmo para outro ponto da rede recíproca. No entanto, se a magnetização apontar para fora do plano a quebra ocorre no próprio ponto $\\Gamma$, porém de maneira mais intensa. Importante enfatizar que além de mapear os sítios com suas orientações magnéticas de menor energia observamos que a quebra da degenerescência está diretamente relacionada com a geometria local da impureza. Isso proporciona imagens de STM distintas para cada sítio possível, permitindo que um experimental localize cada situação no laboratório. Estudamos ainda a transição topológica na liga (Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_2$Se$_3$, onde identificamos um isolante trivial e topológico para $x=0$ e $x=1$. Apesar de óbvia a existência de tal transição, detalhes importantes ainda não estão esclarecidos. Concluímos que a dopagem com impurezas não magnéticas proporciona uma boa técnica para manipulação e engenharia de cone nesta família de materiais, de forma que dependendo da faixa de dopagem podemos eliminar a condutividade que advém do \\textit{bulk}. Finalmente estudamos superfícies de Germaneno e Germaneno funcionalizado com halogênios. Usando uma funcionalização assimétrica e com a avalição do invariante topológico $Z_2$ notamos que o material Ge-I-H é um isolante topológico podendo ser aplicado na elaboração de dispositivos baseados em spin. / In the search of a better understanding of the electronic and magnetic properties of topological insulators we are faced with one of its most striking features, the existence of metallic surface states with helical spin texture which are protected from non-magnetic impurities. On the surface these spin channels allows a huge potential for applications in spintronic devices. There is much to do and treating calculations via \\textit{Ab initio} simulations allows us a predictive character that corroborates the elucidation of physical phenomena through experimental analysis. In this work we analyze the electronic properties of topological insulators such as: (Bi, Sb)$_2$(Te, Se)$_3$, Germanene and functionalized Germanene. Calculations based on DFT show the importance of the separation from interlayers of Van der Waals in materials like Bi$_2$Se$_3$ and Bi$_2$Te$_3$. We show that due to stacking faults, small oscillations in the QLs axis (\\textit{Quintuple Layers}) can generate a decoupling of the Dirac cones and create metal states in the bulk phase Bi$_2$Te$_3$. Regarding the Bi$_2$Se$_3$ a systematic study of the effects of transition metal impurities was performed. We observed that there is a degeneracy lift of the Dirac cone if there is any magnetization on any axis. If the magnetization remains in plane, we observe a small shift to another reciprocal lattice point. However, if the magnetization is pointing out of the plane a lifting in energy occurs at the very $ \\Gamma $ point, but in a more intense way. It is important to emphasize that in addition to mapping the sites with their magnetic orientations of lower energy we saw that the lifting in energy is directly related to the local geometry of the impurity. This provides distinct STM images for each possible site, allowing an experimental to locate each situation in the laboratory. We also studied the topological transition in the alloy (Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_ 2$Se$_3$, where we identify a trivial and topological insulator for $x = 0$ and $x = 1$. Despite the obvious existence of such a transition, important details remain unclear. We conclude that doping with non-magnetic impurities provides a good technique for handling and cone engineering this family of materials so that depending on the range of doping we can eliminate conductivity channels coming from the bulk. Finally we studied a Germanene and functionalized Germanene with halogens. Using an asymmetrical functionalization and with the topological invariant $Z_2$ we noted that the Ge-I-H system is a topological insulator that could be applied in the development of spin-based devices.

Na busca de um melhor entendimento das propriedades eletrônicas e magnéticas dos isolantes topológicos nos deparamos com uma das suas caraterísticas mais marcantes, a existência de estados de superfície metálicos com textura helicoidal de spin os quais são protegidos de impurezas não magnéticas. Na superfície estes canais de spin possuem um potencial enorme para aplicações em dispositivos spintrônicos. Muito há para se fazer e o tratamento via cálculos de primeiros princípios por simulações permite um caráter preditivo que corrobora na elucidação de fenômenos físicos via análises experimentais. Nesse trabalho analisamos as propriedades eletrônicas de isolantes topológicos tais como: (Bi,Sb)$_2$(Te,Se)$_3$, Germaneno e Germaneno funcionalizado. Cálculos baseados em DFT evidenciam a importância das separações entre as camadas de Van der Waals nos materiais Bi$_2$Se$_3$ e Bi$_2$Te$_3$. Mostramos que devido a falhas de empilhamento, pequenas oscilações no eixo de QLs (\\textit{Quintuple Layers}) podem gerar um desacoplamento dos cones de Dirac, além de criar estados metálicos na fase \\textit{bulk} de Bi$_2$Te$_3$. Em se tratando do Bi$_2$Se$_3$ um estudo sistemático dos efeitos de impurezas de metais de transição foi realizado. Observamos que há quebra de degenerescência do cone de Dirac se houver magnetização em quaisquer dos eixos. Além disso se a magnetização permanecer no plano, além de uma pequena quebra de degenerescência, há um deslocamento do mesmo para outro ponto da rede recíproca. No entanto, se a magnetização apontar para fora do plano a quebra ocorre no próprio ponto $\\Gamma$, porém de maneira mais intensa. Importante enfatizar que além de mapear os sítios com suas orientações magnéticas de menor energia observamos que a quebra da degenerescência está diretamente relacionada com a geometria local da impureza. Isso proporciona imagens de STM distintas para cada sítio possível, permitindo que um experimental localize cada situação no laboratório. Estudamos ainda a transição topológica na liga (Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_2$Se$_3$, onde identificamos um isolante trivial e topológico para $x=0$ e $x=1$. Apesar de óbvia a existência de tal transição, detalhes importantes ainda não estão esclarecidos. Concluímos que a dopagem com impurezas não magnéticas proporciona uma boa técnica para manipulação e engenharia de cone nesta família de materiais, de forma que dependendo da faixa de dopagem podemos eliminar a condutividade que advém do \\textit{bulk}. Finalmente estudamos superfícies de Germaneno e Germaneno funcionalizado com halogênios. Usando uma funcionalização assimétrica e com a avalição do invariante topológico $Z_2$ notamos que o material Ge-I-H é um isolante topológico podendo ser aplicado na elaboração de dispositivos baseados em spin. / In the search of a better understanding of the electronic and magnetic properties of topological insulators we are faced with one of its most striking features, the existence of metallic surface states with helical spin texture which are protected from non-magnetic impurities. On the surface these spin channels allows a huge potential for applications in spintronic devices. There is much to do and treating calculations via \\textit{Ab initio} simulations allows us a predictive character that corroborates the elucidation of physical phenomena through experimental analysis. In this work we analyze the electronic properties of topological insulators such as: (Bi, Sb)$_2$(Te, Se)$_3$, Germanene and functionalized Germanene. Calculations based on DFT show the importance of the separation from interlayers of Van der Waals in materials like Bi$_2$Se$_3$ and Bi$_2$Te$_3$. We show that due to stacking faults, small oscillations in the QLs axis (\\textit{Quintuple Layers}) can generate a decoupling of the Dirac cones and create metal states in the bulk phase Bi$_2$Te$_3$. Regarding the Bi$_2$Se$_3$ a systematic study of the effects of transition metal impurities was performed. We observed that there is a degeneracy lift of the Dirac cone if there is any magnetization on any axis. If the magnetization remains in plane, we observe a small shift to another reciprocal lattice point. However, if the magnetization is pointing out of the plane a lifting in energy occurs at the very $ \\Gamma $ point, but in a more intense way. It is important to emphasize that in addition to mapping the sites with their magnetic orientations of lower energy we saw that the lifting in energy is directly related to the local geometry of the impurity. This provides distinct STM images for each possible site, allowing an experimental to locate each situation in the laboratory. We also studied the topological transition in the alloy (Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_ 2$Se$_3$, where we identify a trivial and topological insulator for $x = 0$ and $x = 1$. Despite the obvious existence of such a transition, important details remain unclear. We conclude that doping with non-magnetic impurities provides a good technique for handling and cone engineering this family of materials so that depending on the range of doping we can eliminate conductivity channels coming from the bulk. Finally we studied a Germanene and functionalized Germanene with halogens. Using an asymmetrical functionalization and with the topological invariant $Z_2$ we noted that the Ge-I-H system is a topological insulator that could be applied in the development of spin-based devices.