Efficiency of three-terminal thermoelectric transport under broken-time reversal symmetry

TL;DR

This paper explores the thermoelectric efficiency of three-terminal systems with broken time reversal symmetry, demonstrating conditions for achieving Carnot efficiency and surpassing the Curzon-Ahlborn limit through quantum dot models and transmission engineering.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum dot model showing how symmetry in thermopower affects efficiency and demonstrates efficiency improvements using energy-dependent transmission functions.

Findings

Carnot efficiency achieved with symmetric thermopower

Efficiency at maximum power exceeds Curzon-Ahlborn limit

Efficiency improved with sharp energy-dependent transmission functions

Abstract

We investigate thermoelectric efficiency of systems with broken time reversal symmetry under a three-terminal transport. Using a model of Aharonov-Bohm interferometer formed with three noninteracting quantum dots, we show that Carnot efficiency can be achieved when the thermopower is a symmetric function of the applied magnetic field. On the other hand, the maximal value of the efficiency at maximum power is obtained for asymmetric thermopower. Indeed, we show that Curzon-Ahlborn limit is exceeded within the linear response regime in our model. Moreover, we investigate thermoelectric efficiency for random Hamiltonians drawn from the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble and for a more abstract transmission model. In this latter model we find that the efficiency is improved using sharp energy-dependent transmission functions.