HEATER Fellows

Ahmed Ali

MASc., McMaster University

Mechanical Engineering

My research is based on developing a manufacturing technique for an annular design thermoelectric generators. This will include material preparation, sintering, bonding and testing the modules.

Masoud Aminzare

MSc., McMaster University 

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

My research contains two parts: 1) investigation of thermoelectric properties of ternary Skutterudites, which are isoelectronic to their binary analogues, as potential thermoelectric materials, 2) enhancement of thermoelectric performance of lead free SnTe-based materials through single metal doping. 

Kristopher Byrne

PhD., University of Toronto

Materials Science and Engineering

My work aims to improve the understanding of electric and thermoelectric properties in InAs nanowires and the methodology in measuring them.

Andrei Catuneanu

PhD., University of Toronto

Physics

Probing exotic quantum phases of matter in layered materials via numerical simulations. Possible thermoelectric applications of synthetic compounds are explored.

Michael Cino

PhD, McMaster University 

Engineering Physics

I will investigate techniques, such as pressing/sintering, to economically produce thermoelectric materials for use in waste heat recovery applications. There will also be a focus on material optimization through the tailoring of dopant concentrations for specific thermal environments.

Yanyun Hu 

PhD, University of Toronto 

Physics

The origin of the low thermal conductivity in some lattice thermoelectric materials, such as PbTe in a rocksalt structure, has so  far been elusive. Using neutron scattering measurements and  model-based computations of the phonons in PbTe and some other  potential thermoelectric materials, we are supposed to understand how the microscopic processes affect the bulk thermal conductivity.

Parisa Jafarzadeh

PhD., University of Waterloo

Chemistry

The ultimate goal of my work is to develop a long time stable copper chalcogenide thermoelectric materials. To achieve this, we plan to identify and optimize new higher copper chalcogenides.

Timothy Lo

MSc., McMaster University 

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

My resesarch mainly involves the investigation of the thermoelectric zinc antimonide zintl phases. Structural studies in different temperatures and optimizations of several relative phases would help understand this  binary system more thoroughly. 

Mark Meschino

MSc., University of Toronto

Physics

My research is in the study of superlattice structures as they pertain to oxide thermoelectrics.

Hongyoul Park

MSc., University of Toronto

Physics

My research project is on alpha-RuCl3, a layered material with honeycomb structure. The project is focused on investigating its properties in nanoscale, doping effects, and how these affect its thermoelectric properties.  

Daniel Ramirez

PhD., University of Waterloo

Chemistry

Yixuan Shi

PhD, University of Waterloo

Chemistry

I'm currently conducting research on Thallium Tellurides now. Thus far I optimized the synthesis conditions for TlSbTe2 and tried to improve its thermoelectric properties by doping other elements. The newest result was that the figure of merit of TlSbTe2 was improved 20% by doping with Yb. 

Alex Tseng

MASc, University of Toronto

Materials Science and Engineering

My work aims to investigate the impact of surface functionalization on electronic transport and thermoelectric properties of InAs nanowires.

David Wisniewski 

MASc, University of Toronto

Materials Science and Engineering

My work involves studying the thermal and electronic properties of ZnSe nanowire twinning superlattices under optical excitation.