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The fragility of thermoelectric power factor in cross-plane superlattices in the presence of nonidealities : a quantum transport simulation approach

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Thesberg, Mischa, Pourfath, M., Neophytou, Neophytos and Kosina, Hans (2016) The fragility of thermoelectric power factor in cross-plane superlattices in the presence of nonidealities : a quantum transport simulation approach. Journal of Electronic Materials, 45 (3). pp. 1584-1588. doi:10.1007/s11664-015-4124-7 ISSN 0361-5235.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-4124-7

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Abstract

Energy filtering has been put forth as a promising method for achieving large thermoelectric power factors in thermoelectric materials through Seebeck coefficient improvement. Materials with embedded potential barriers, such as cross-plane superlattices, provide energy filtering, in addition to low thermal conductivity, and could potentially achieve high figure of merit. Although there exist many theoretical works demonstrating Seebeck coefficient and power factor gains in idealized structures, experimental support has been scant. In most cases, the electrical conductivity is drastically reduced due to the presence of barriers. In this work, using quantum-mechanical simulations based on the nonequilibrium Green’s function method, we show that, although power factor improvements can theoretically be observed in optimized superlattices (as pointed out in previous studies), different types of deviations from the ideal potential profiles of the barriers degrade the performance, some nonidealities being so significant as to negate all power factor gains. Specifically, the effect of tunneling due to thin barriers could be especially detrimental to the Seebeck coefficient and power factor. Our results could partially explain why significant power factor improvements in superlattices and other energy-filtering nanostructures mainly fail to be realized, despite theoretical predictions.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > Engineering
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Thermoelectric materials, Superlattices as materials, Thermoelectricity
Journal or Publication Title: Journal of Electronic Materials
Publisher: Springer New York LLC
ISSN: 0361-5235
Official Date: March 2016
Dates:
DateEvent
March 2016Published
3 November 2015Available
Volume: 45
Number: 3
Number of Pages: 5
Page Range: pp. 1584-1588
DOI: 10.1007/s11664-015-4124-7
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit: 2 March 2016
Date of first compliant Open Access: 3 November 2016
Funder: Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Austria) (FWF)
Grant number: P25368-N30 (FWF)

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