Off-center Rattling Triggers High-Temperature Thermal Transport in Thermoelectric lathrates: Non-Perturbative Approach

Lattice thermal conductivities ${\kappa }_{\mathrm{L}}$ of type-I clathrates encapsulating “off-center” guest atoms behave in a way that is sharply different from those of conventional crystals such as on-center type-I clathrates. The latter decreases with increasing temperature according to 1/$T$ above a few tens,K. While, ${\kappa }_{\mathrm{L}}$ of off-center clathrates increase T-linearly above a few tens K. Further increasing temperature above $T\gtrsim$100 K, ${\kappa }_{\mathrm{L}}$ saturates without exhibiting appreciable T-dependence. In this temperature regime, the standard formulation of ${\kappa }_{\mathrm{L}}$ based on the perturbation theory is unfeasible. We herein present a theory of ${\kappa }_{\mathrm{L}}$ based on “non-perturbative” approach by taking into account the interaction between non-vibrational off-center rattling states of guest atoms and cage shells. It is remarkable that our theory shows excellent agreement with observed ${\kappa }_{\mathrm{L}}(T)$ for off-center clathrates in magnitudes, the cage volume $\mathrm{\Omega }$-dependence and T-dependence.