Abstract
Abstract The electron diffusion thermopower of K, Rb and Cs is calculated and analysed by using an accurate phonon spectrum generated from neutron scattering data. It is found that electron-phonon normal scattering generates a negative thermopower which is linear in temperature. On the other hand, Umklapp scattering produces a large positive and extremely non-linear thermopower. Since the individual contributions are weighted by the respective thermal resistivities, the positive Umklapp component dominates for Rb and Cs, whereas the negative normal component does so for K. Although the observed sign anomaly of the thermopower is generally attributed to the phonon drag effect, we see that the electron diffusion thermopower also plays a significant role.
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