Nonlinear thermoelectric efficiency of superlattice-structured nanowires
Karbaschi, Hossein ; Lovén, John ; Courteaut, Klara ; Wacker, Andreas LU
and Leijnse, Martin
LU
(2016)
In Physical Review B
94(11).
- Abstract
We theoretically investigate nonlinear ballistic thermoelectric transport in a superlattice-structured nanowire. By a special choice of nonuniform widths of the superlattice barriers - analogous to antireflection coating in optical systems - it is possible to achieve a transmission which comes close to a square profile as a function of energy. We calculate the low-temperature output power and power-conversion efficiency of a thermoelectric generator based on such a structure and show that the efficiency remains high also when operating at a significant power. To provide guidelines for experiments, we study how the results depend on the nanowire radius, the number of barriers, and on random imperfections in barrier width and separation.... (More)
We theoretically investigate nonlinear ballistic thermoelectric transport in a superlattice-structured nanowire. By a special choice of nonuniform widths of the superlattice barriers - analogous to antireflection coating in optical systems - it is possible to achieve a transmission which comes close to a square profile as a function of energy. We calculate the low-temperature output power and power-conversion efficiency of a thermoelectric generator based on such a structure and show that the efficiency remains high also when operating at a significant power. To provide guidelines for experiments, we study how the results depend on the nanowire radius, the number of barriers, and on random imperfections in barrier width and separation. Our results indicate that high efficiencies can indeed be achieved with today's capabilities in epitaxial nanowire growth.
(Less)
- author
- Karbaschi, Hossein
; Lovén, John
; Courteaut, Klara
; Wacker, Andreas
LU
and Leijnse, Martin
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2016-09-08
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Physical Review B
- volume
- 94
- issue
- 11
- article number
- 115414
- publisher
- American Physical Society
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84990966865
- wos:000383234300008
- ISSN
- 1098-0121
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.94.115414
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8b9b30dc-caf9-4a37-97c0-419d7b427379
- date added to LUP
- 2017-01-10 11:29:03
- date last changed
- 2024-03-22 15:31:56
@article{8b9b30dc-caf9-4a37-97c0-419d7b427379,
abstract = {{<p>We theoretically investigate nonlinear ballistic thermoelectric transport in a superlattice-structured nanowire. By a special choice of nonuniform widths of the superlattice barriers - analogous to antireflection coating in optical systems - it is possible to achieve a transmission which comes close to a square profile as a function of energy. We calculate the low-temperature output power and power-conversion efficiency of a thermoelectric generator based on such a structure and show that the efficiency remains high also when operating at a significant power. To provide guidelines for experiments, we study how the results depend on the nanowire radius, the number of barriers, and on random imperfections in barrier width and separation. Our results indicate that high efficiencies can indeed be achieved with today's capabilities in epitaxial nanowire growth.</p>}},
author = {{Karbaschi, Hossein and Lovén, John and Courteaut, Klara and Wacker, Andreas and Leijnse, Martin}},
issn = {{1098-0121}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
number = {{11}},
publisher = {{American Physical Society}},
series = {{Physical Review B}},
title = {{Nonlinear thermoelectric efficiency of superlattice-structured nanowires}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/21231805/karbaschi_PRB2016.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1103/PhysRevB.94.115414}},
volume = {{94}},
year = {{2016}},
}