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Breaking the transport trade-off in Bi2Te3 films via interface reconstruction and magnetic coupling

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    1. Bi2Te3 films are promising for compact thermoelectric generators and light detectors.

      PEF treatment crystallizes key interfaces and reduces carrier scattering.

      Magnetic Co nanoparticles tune carrier transport through magnetoelectric interaction.

      The optimized film improves thermoelectric output and ultraviolet photodetection.

  • Bi2Te3 films play a pivotal role in semiconductor applications, particularly for thermoelectric and photo-thermoelectric energy conversion. Doping is the primary method to regulate their functional properties, yet parameter trade-offs cap the achievable power factor and detectivity. Here, we introduce a synergistic strategy combining pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment with magnetic nanoparticle incorporation to achieve the decoupling of electrical transport parameters. PEF treatment facilitates the crystallization of the carbon nanotube (CNT)/Bi2Te3 interface and the formation of a coherent Co/CoTe2/Bi2Te3 interface, which increases carrier transport pathways while reducing carrier scattering, significantly enhancing carrier mobility. Magnetic Co nanoparticle incorporation induces magnetoelectric interaction, boosting the density-of-states effective mass, while both Co nanoparticles induce carrier injection, increasing the carrier concentration. Consequently, a synergistic enhancement of carrier mobility, density-of-states effective mass, and carrier concentration is realized in Bi2Te3 film. Furthermore, we fabricated single-leg thermoelectric and optoelectronic devices that achieve high output power density of 10.26 W m−2 at a temperature difference of 39 K and excellent detectivity of 5.95×109 Jones at 365 nm light illumination, respectively. This work highlights the significant role of interface modulation and magnetoelectric interaction in regulating electrical transport properties.
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  • Cite this article:

    Lan M., Jiang L., Liu M., et al. (2026). Breaking the transport trade-off in Bi2Te3 films via interface reconstruction and magnetic coupling . The Innovation Physics 1:100014. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.tip.2026.100014
    Lan M., Jiang L., Liu M., et al. (2026). Breaking the transport trade-off in Bi2Te3 films via interface reconstruction and magnetic coupling . The Innovation Physics 1:100014. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.tip.2026.100014

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