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Concept study for a high-efficiency nanowire-based thermoelectric

M. F. O'Dwyer·T. E. Humphrey·H. Linke
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Abstract

Materials capable of highly efficient, direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion would have substantial economic potential. Theory predicts that thermoelectric efficiencies approaching the Carnot limit can be achieved at low temperatures in one-dimensional conductors that contain an energy filter such as a double-barrier resonant tunneling structure. The recent advances in growth techniques suggest that such devices can now be realized in heterostructured, semiconductor nanowires. Here we propose specific structural parameters for InAs/InP nanowires that may allow the experimental observation of near-Carnot efficient thermoelectric energy conversion in a single nanowire at low temperature.

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M. F. O'Dwyer, T. E. Humphrey, H. Linke. 2006-01-06. Concept study for a high-efficiency nanowire-based thermoelectric. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484%2F17%2F11%2Fs18

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