Abstract
What electronic structure provides the largest figure of merit for thermoelectric materials? To answer that question, we write the electrical conductivity, thermopower, and thermal conductivity as integrals of a single function, the transport distribution. Then we derive the mathematical function for the transport distribution, which gives the largest figure of merit. A delta-shaped transport distribution is found to maximize the thermoelectric properties. This result indicates that a narrow distribution of the energy of the electrons participating in the transport process is needed for maximum thermoelectric efficiency. Some possible realizations of this idea are discussed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 7436-7439 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Volume | 93 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 23 1996 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General
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Mahan, G. D., & Sofo, J. O. (1996). The best thermoelectric. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 93(15), 7436-7439. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.15.7436