### Session W29: Focus Session: Thermoelectrics V: III-V's & Nanostructures

11:15 AM–2:03 PM, Thursday, March 18, 2010
Room: C123

Chair: Lilia Woods, University of South Florida

Abstract ID: BAPS.2010.MAR.W29.9

### Abstract: W29.00009 : Quantum-enhanced performance of nanoscale thermoelectrics

1:15 PM–1:27 PM

Preview Abstract MathJax On | Off   Abstract

#### Authors:

Justin Bergfield
(University of Arizona)

Charles Stafford
(University of Arizona)

In a recent paper, we predicted that the linear thermoelectric response of a nanoscale junction is strongly enhanced by quantum interference in the vicinity of a transmission node.\footnote{J.~P.~Bergfield and C.~A.~Stafford, Nano Letters {\bf 9}, 3072 (2009).} In this talk, we use our nonequilibrium many-body transport theory\footnote{J.\ P.\ Bergfield and C.\ A.Stafford, Phys.\ Rev.\ B {\bf 79}, 245125 (2009)} to investigate the performance of thermoelectric devices based on single-molecule junctions, determining the thermodynamic efficiency and power at finite bias. By comparing the linear and nonlinear device characteristics, the applicability of the dimensionless thermoelectric figure-of-merit $ZT$ to predict device performance at the nanoscale is tested. Finally, we report on a class of high-impedance nanoscale devices which possess additional quantum-enhancement, and exhibit high thermodynamic efficiency and $ZT>10$ limited only by the coherence length.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.MAR.W29.9