Abstract
Calculations of thermoelectric transport coefficients including quantum effects are performed on superlattices using the Buttiker approximation. The results are compared to the Boltzmann transport equation with minibands present, and to an incoherent transport model. Comparisons are performed in the linear regime for the electrical conductivity, Seebeck and Lorenz coefficients. We show that at superlattice periods smaller than the typical electron mean free path, the former model and the calculations including quantum effects are in agreement. However, for longer superlattices the incoherent model is shown to be more correct.
Highlights
The thermoelectric properties are often improved by nano structuring [1] materials
It is beneficial that the transport distribution function is asymmetric and sharply peaked close to the chemical potential
The transport distribution function is calculated from the transmission function [64] by utilizing the Landauer formalism
Summary
The thermoelectric properties are often improved by nano structuring [1] materials This improvement stems mostly from a reduction of the thermal conductivity due to a reduced phonon mean free path. An approach to nanostructuring that is motivated by this, is the concept of energy filtering [2,3,4,5,6] In this approach the contributions to the electrical conductivity at different carrier energies are modified [7,3]. It has been shown that the ideal shape of the transport distribution function is a delta function [7,8] This can never be achieved, but by utilizing the flexibility of nano structuring it might be possible to approach this ideal case
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