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Ultralow chromium doping enables all-PbSe thermoelectric cooling
Shibo Liu1,2,3, Yu Tian1,2,3, Yi Wen1,2,3
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 4, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a tellurium-free thermoelectric cooler using lead selenide (PbSe) and chromium (Cr) doping. This sustainable alternative offers high cooling performance, addressing limitations of current bismuth telluride devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Physics
- Thermoelectric Engineering
Background:
- Thermoelectric cooling is crucial for solid-state thermal management.
- Commercial devices often use bismuth telluride, limited by tellurium scarcity and cost.
- Need for sustainable and cost-effective thermoelectric materials is high.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a tellurium-free thermoelectric cooler.
- To engineer defects and optimize carrier transport in lead selenide (PbSe) using chromium (Cr) doping.
- To achieve high-performance thermoelectric cooling comparable to or exceeding current technologies.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of n-type (PbSe + 0.005Cr) and p-type (PbSe + 0.001Cr) crystals.
- Engineering of defects and donors via ultralow-dopant chromium grid.
- Characterization of carrier transport and thermoelectric properties.
Main Results:
- Achieved high-performance n-type and p-type PbSe crystals with matched properties.
- Demonstrated exceptional cooling performance: ~6 W/cm² cooling density.
- Reached a peak coefficient of performance of ~21 and a maximum temperature difference of ~53 K.
Conclusions:
- Lead selenide (PbSe) is a viable, sustainable alternative for thermoelectric cooling.
- The Cr-doped PbSe system offers a promising solution for large-scale cooling applications.
- This advancement overcomes limitations associated with tellurium-based thermoelectric devices.
