{
  "abstract": "Suppressing lattice thermal conductivity (K_lat) is pivotal for thermoelectric efficiency. While traditional strategies rely heavily on phonon scattering from mass- and size-mismatches, we demonstrate a robust K_lat suppression mechanism driven by dopant-induced lattice stiffness modulation. Through a comparative analysis of p-type (Mn) and n-type (Co, Ir) doping in the β-FeSi2 model system, we show that Co and Ir doping significantly reduce K_lat. Notably, Co doping achieves a ~71% reduction at 300 K even without significant mass and size contrast. By correlating transport data with neutron powder diffraction, heat capacity, and Raman spectroscopy, we reveal anomalous lattice expansion, a substantial reduction in Debye temperature, and marked vibrational redshift and broadening. These systematic changes provide strong evidence for atomic-scale lattice softening and a fundamental weakening of interatomic force constants, which synergistically lower phonon group velocities and amplify anharmonic scattering. Our findings establish lattice stiffness manipulation as a powerful strategy for thermal management, offering a distinct design pathway beyond traditional mass- and strain-fluctuation models.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Journal reference: Quantum Front 5, 9 (2026)",
  "arxiv": "2609.32261",
  "author_total": 18,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Cuiping Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Qingyong Ren"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yangfan Cui"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chen Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Songbai Hu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shengnan Dai"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chin-Wei Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Wanju Luo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dexiang Gao"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bao Yuan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Junying Shen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fan Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Wei Xu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yuting Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mingfang Shu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xiaoli Huang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pengfei Qiu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jie Ma"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4h6qz2ewt4rxx.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.32261",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4h6qz2ewt4rxx",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.32261",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mtrl-sci"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.32261",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4h6qz2ewt4rxx.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:25:31Z",
      "native_id": "2609.32261",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.32261"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mtrl-sci",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Dopant-modulated lattice softening drives drastic thermal conductivity reduction in β-FeSi2 thermoelectrics",
  "title_text": "Dopant-modulated lattice softening drives drastic thermal conductivity reduction in β-FeSi2 thermoelectrics",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:25:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4h6qz2ewt4rxx",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": [
    {
      "doi": "10.1007/s44214-026-00106-x",
      "pid": null,
      "relation": "published-as",
      "title": null,
      "venue": null
    }
  ]
}