Optimal Bandwidth for High Efficiency Thermoelectrics

Zhou, Jun; Yang, Ronggui; Chen, Gang; Dresselhaus, Mildred S.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.226601

Title: Optimal Bandwidth for High Efficiency Thermoelectrics

Journal Article · Tue Nov 22 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.226601· OSTI ID:1387006

Zhou, Jun ^[1]; Yang, Ronggui ^[1]; Chen, Gang ^[2]; Dresselhaus, Mildred S. ^[3]

Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Dept. of Physics

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.

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Research Organization:: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001299; FG02-09ER46577

OSTI ID:: 1387006

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1101241

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 22; Related Information: S3TEC partners with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (lead); Boston College; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 75 works

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