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Geometric Symmetry Breaking and Nonlinearity Can Increase Thermoelectric Power

Fast, Jonatan LU ; Lundström, Hanna ; Dorsch, Sven LU ; Samuelson, Lars LU ; Burke, Adam LU orcid ; Samuelsson, Peter LU and Linke, Heiner LU orcid (2024) In Physical Review Letters 133(11).
Abstract

Direct thermal-to-electric energy converters typically operate in the linear regime, where the ratio of actual maximum power relative to the ideal maximum power, the so-called fill factor (FF), is 0.25. Here, we show, based on fundamental symmetry considerations, that the leading order nonlinear terms that can increase the FF require devices with broken spatial symmetry. Studying nonlinear, thermoelectric transport across an asymmetric energy barrier defined in a single semiconductor nanowire, we find in both experiment and theory that we can increase the FF as well as maximum power. Geometric symmetry breaking combined with the design of nonlinear behavior thus represents a strategy for increasing the performance of thermoelectric or... (More)

Direct thermal-to-electric energy converters typically operate in the linear regime, where the ratio of actual maximum power relative to the ideal maximum power, the so-called fill factor (FF), is 0.25. Here, we show, based on fundamental symmetry considerations, that the leading order nonlinear terms that can increase the FF require devices with broken spatial symmetry. Studying nonlinear, thermoelectric transport across an asymmetric energy barrier defined in a single semiconductor nanowire, we find in both experiment and theory that we can increase the FF as well as maximum power. Geometric symmetry breaking combined with the design of nonlinear behavior thus represents a strategy for increasing the performance of thermoelectric or hot-carrier devices.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Physical Review Letters
volume
133
issue
11
article number
116302
publisher
American Physical Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:39332005
  • scopus:85204501882
ISSN
0031-9007
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.116302
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
83a64889-2227-4dfe-bb88-edfb2b43e427
date added to LUP
2024-11-22 12:08:03
date last changed
2025-07-05 07:50:09
@article{83a64889-2227-4dfe-bb88-edfb2b43e427,
  abstract     = {{<p>Direct thermal-to-electric energy converters typically operate in the linear regime, where the ratio of actual maximum power relative to the ideal maximum power, the so-called fill factor (FF), is 0.25. Here, we show, based on fundamental symmetry considerations, that the leading order nonlinear terms that can increase the FF require devices with broken spatial symmetry. Studying nonlinear, thermoelectric transport across an asymmetric energy barrier defined in a single semiconductor nanowire, we find in both experiment and theory that we can increase the FF as well as maximum power. Geometric symmetry breaking combined with the design of nonlinear behavior thus represents a strategy for increasing the performance of thermoelectric or hot-carrier devices.</p>}},
  author       = {{Fast, Jonatan and Lundström, Hanna and Dorsch, Sven and Samuelson, Lars and Burke, Adam and Samuelsson, Peter and Linke, Heiner}},
  issn         = {{0031-9007}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{American Physical Society}},
  series       = {{Physical Review Letters}},
  title        = {{Geometric Symmetry Breaking and Nonlinearity Can Increase Thermoelectric Power}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.116302}},
  doi          = {{10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.116302}},
  volume       = {{133}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}