Electron-phonon contribution to the thermopower of metals

Journal Article · Wed Nov 14 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.42.9350· OSTI ID:6196807

Jonson, M; Mahan, G D ^[1]

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1. Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (USA) Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (USA)

A theorem is proved for the thermopower when limited by the electron-phonon interaction. It is shown for simple metals that the thermopower is given by the Mott formula plus a correction term. The correction term is evaluated and shown to be small for simple metals. Thus we are able to show that Mott's formula is valid for phonon scattering by electrons, even when the energy dependence of the phonons is taken into account. This proof extends our earlier result, which only applied to static impurities, and to phonons in the adiabatic approximation.

• OSTI ID: 6196807
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 42:15; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

656002* -- Condensed Matter Physics-- General Techniques in Condensed Matter-- (1987-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON-PHONON COUPLING
ELEMENTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
MOTT SCATTERING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER
SCATTERING
THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES