Hidden crystal structures unlocked: New avenues for thermoelectrics and solar thermal conversion
A research team at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, led by Prof. Kanishka Biswas, has made a groundbreaking discovery where the local crystal structure symmetry decreases with rising temperatures, defying the typical trend of increasing symmetry with heat. This rare phenomenon was observed in the all-inorganic two-dimensional halide perovskite, Cs2PbI2Cl2. The research highlights the significance of local symmetry breaking, termed “emphanisis,” where local atomic distortions increase upon heating, while the global…