Forced Response of Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Abstract

The theory of the forced response of electric circuits applied to the study of the thermoelectricity here described allows the characterization of thermoelectric devices and materials determining the resistance of the thermal contacts, and the thermoelectric resistance. The successive computer analysis yields values for the Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistance, thermal conductance, and the figure of merit. The forced response of the thermoelectric materials and devices satisfies the Luttingers thermal transport coefficients theory, and the first-order electric circuitss behavior. Also, permits to find the thermoelectric time constant, and predicting the thermoelectric angular frequency which is necessary to determinate the complex impedance graphically through the Nyquist plot, due to that the thermoelectric time constant is inversely proportional to the thermoelectric angular frequency, as well as it makes accessible the prediction of the impedance spectroscopy measurements beyond the restrictive case of adiabatic boundary conditions regularly dicult to achieve experimentally, and therefore the characterization in situ. Like Harmans method, these parameters can be measured simultaneously on the same device or sample, and no requires neither reference nor standard material for comparison.