MIT Libraries logoDSpace@MIT

MIT
View Item 
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • View Item
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Optimal Bandwidth for High Efficiency Thermoelectrics

Author(s)
Zhou, Jun; Yang, Ronggui; Chen, Gang; Dresselhaus, Mildred
Thumbnail
DownloadZhou-2011-Optimal Bandwidth for High Efficiency Thermoelectrics.pdf (690.2Kb)
PUBLISHER_POLICY

Publisher Policy

Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.

Terms of use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
The thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) in narrow conduction bands of different material dimensionalities is investigated for different carrier scattering models. When the bandwidth is zero, the transport distribution function (TDF) is finite, not infinite as previously speculated by Mahan and Sofo [ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93 7436 (1996)], even though the carrier density of states goes to infinity. Such a finite TDF results in a zero electrical conductivity and thus a zero ZT. We point out that the optimal ZT cannot be found in an extremely narrow conduction band. The existence of an optimal bandwidth for a maximal ZT depends strongly on the scattering models and the dimensionality of the material. A nonzero optimal bandwidth for maximizing ZT also depends on the lattice thermal conductivity. A larger maximum ZT can be obtained for materials with a smaller lattice thermal conductivity.
Date issued
2011-11
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69627
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Journal
Physical Review Letters
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Citation
Zhou, Jun et al. “Optimal Bandwidth for High Efficiency Thermoelectrics.” Physical Review Letters 107.22 (2011): n. pag. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. © 2011 American Physical Society
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0031-9007
1079-7114

Collections
  • MIT Open Access Articles

Browse

All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

My Account

Login

Statistics

OA StatisticsStatistics by CountryStatistics by Department
MIT Libraries
PrivacyPermissionsAccessibilityContact us
MIT
Content created by the MIT Libraries, CC BY-NC unless otherwise noted. Notify us about copyright concerns.