Thermoelectric properties of tubular nanowires in the presence of a transverse magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a transverse magnetic field influences the thermoelectric properties of tubular semiconductor nanowires, revealing oscillations and sign changes in key thermoelectric parameters up to 20 K and 3 T.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of magnetic field effects on thermoelectric properties of nanowires using the Landauer-Büttiker approach, highlighting oscillations and sign changes in Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, and figure of merit.

Findings

Seebeck coefficient can change sign within the studied parameters.

Thermal conductivity and figure of merit exhibit oscillations with magnetic field.

Transport properties are influenced by the electron energy spectrum.

Abstract

We calculate the charge and heat current associate with electrons, generated by a temperature gradient and chemical potential difference between two ends of a tubular nanowire of 30 nm radius in the presence of an external magnetic field perpendicular to its axis. We consider a nanowire based on a semiconductor material, and use the Landauer-Bttiker approach to calculate the transport quantities. We obtain the variation of the Seebeck coefficient ($S$), thermal conductivity kappa, and the figure of merit ($ZT$), with respect to the temperature up to 20\,K, and with the magnetic field up to 3 T. In particular we show that the Seebeck coefficient can change sign in this domain of parameters. In addition $\kappa$ and $ZT$ have oscillations when the magnetic field increases. These oscillations are determined by the energy spectrum of the electrons.