Thermodynamic-enabled synthesis of Bi/Bi₁₄Te₆ axial heterostructure nanowires

We report thermodynamically controlled multi-segmented nanowires for phonon-glass, electron-crystal materials prepared by on-film formation of nanowires (OFF-ON), which is capable of growing high-quality single-crystalline Bi nanowires by the subsequent sputtering of Te onto the Bi nanowires and by post-annealing. The Bi/Bi₁₄Te₆ multi-segmented nanowires exhibit lower thermal conductivities than Bi_xTe_y compounds, while the electrical conductivities of Bi nanowires and multi-segmented nanowires are similar.