Thermoelectric Properties of TlCu3Te2 and TlCu2Te2

We performed thermoelectric characterizations on TlCu₃Te₂: (Tl¹⁺)(Cu¹⁺)₃ (Te²⁻)₂ and TlCu₂Te₂: (Tl¹⁺)(Tl³⁺)(Cu¹⁺)₄(Te²⁻)₄, in order to understand the relationship between the thermoelectric properties (especially the lattice thermal conductivity κ _lat) and the valence states of Tl. The thermal conductivity of TlCu₂Te₂ is high (about 8 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹), while that of TlCu₃Te₂ is extremely low (around 0.5 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) like other thallium tellurides. This high κ of TlCu₂Te₂ was caused not only by its large electronic contribution but also by its intrinsically high κ _lat. The present study implies that the valence states of Tl would play some important roles in determining the magnitude of κ _lat.