# Thermoelectric and optical probes for a Fermi surface topology change in noncentrosymmetric metals

## TL;DR

This paper investigates thermoelectric and optical responses as probes for Fermi surface topology changes in noncentrosymmetric metals, revealing a dimensional crossover and enhanced thermoelectric efficiency near the band touching point.

## Contribution

It provides exact expressions for relaxation time and demonstrates how thermoelectric and optical properties signal Fermi surface topology transitions in these metals.

## Key findings

- Thermoelectric power and figure of merit are enhanced below the band touching point.
- Optical conductivities reflect the topological change of the Fermi surface.
- Hall coefficient and optical absorption show signatures of Fermi surface topology change.

## Abstract

Noncentrosymmetric metals such as Li$_2$(Pd$_{1-x}$Pt$_x$)$_3$B have different Fermi surface topology below and above the band touching point where spin-degeneracy is not lifted by the spin-orbit coupling. We investigate thermoelectric and optical response as probes for this Fermi surface topology change. We show that the chemical potential displays a dimensional crossover from a three-dimensional to one-dimensional characteristics as the descending Fermi energy crosses the band touching point. This dimensional crossover is due to the existence of different Fermi surface topology above and below the band touching point. We obtain an exact expression of relaxation time due to short-range scatterer by solving Boltzmann transport equations self-consistently. The thermoelctric power and figure of merit are significantly enhanced as the Fermi energy goes below the band touching point owing to the underlying one-dimensional-like nature of noncentrosymmteric bulk metals. The value of thermoelectric figure of merit goes beyond two as the Fermi energy approaches to the van Hove singularity for lower spin-orbit coupling. Similarly, the studies of the zero-frequency and finite-frequency optical conductivities in the zero-momentum limit reflect the nature of topological change of the Fermi surface. The Hall coefficient and optical absorption width exhibit distinct signatures in response to the changes in Fermi surface topology.