Thermoelectric refrigerator based on asymmetric surfaces of a magnetic topological insulator

TL;DR

This paper proposes a thermoelectric refrigerator using asymmetric surfaces of a magnetic topological insulator, achieving a figure of merit ZT over 1 below 300 K, enabling efficient small-scale cooling and power generation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel thermoelectric module design based on magnetic topological insulators with asymmetric surfaces and hollow structures for enhanced efficiency.

Findings

ZT exceeds 1 below 300 K indicating high efficiency

The device can operate in both refrigeration and power generation modes

Potential for precise temperature control in small-scale applications

Abstract

Thermoelectric (TE) refrigeration such as Peltier cooler enables a unique opportunity in electric energy to directly convert thermal energy. Here, we propose a TE module with both refrigeration and power generation modes by utilizing asymmetric surfaces of a magnetic topological insulator (quantum anomalous Hall insulator) with a periodic array of hollows filled with two different dielectrics. Based on the Boltzmann transport theory, we show that its efficiency, i.e., the dimensionless figure of merit ZT exceeds 1 in the low-temperature regime below 300 K. The proposed device could be utilized as a heat management device that requires precise temperature control in small-scale cooling.