High-Pressure Synthesis and Physical Properties of Skutterudite Compounds

Abstract

Skutterudite compounds have recently attracted much attention from the viewpoint of both their potential as improved thermoelectric materials and their variety of electrical and magnetic properties, including exotic superconductivity, quadrupole ordering and anomalous metal-insulator transition. High-pressure synthesis is a powerful technique to prepare skutterudite compounds. In this article, the high-pressure synthesis of skutterudite compounds and their physical properties are reviewed.