The differential effective medium method (DEM) is presented from a physicalviewpoint and employed to calculate the lattice thermal conductivity ofnano-bulk composites comprising core-shell particles. Extended from theaverage-T-matrix single-particle approximation, DEM incorporates interparticleeffect essential for the study of core-shell nanocomposites (CSN).Interparticle boundary scattering in addition to intraparticle boundaryscattering in CSN is found to add to the reduction of thermal conductivity ofnanocomposites. Thus, CSN hold the promise of improving the thermoelectricdimensionless figure of merit ZT above that of monolithic nano-bulk phases. Siand SiGe based CSN serve as illustrative examples.
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