Influence of the Anderson transition on thermoelectric energy conversion in disordered electronic systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the Anderson transition affects thermoelectric efficiency in disordered electronic systems, revealing potential for enhanced energy conversion near phase transitions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of thermoelectric properties near the Anderson transition, highlighting the role of critical exponents and thermoelastic properties in improving efficiency.

Findings

Large thermoelectric figure of merit near the Anderson transition

Direct link between thermoelectric and thermoelastic properties

Critical exponent influences thermoelectric performance

Abstract

So far, the efficiency of thermoelectric energy conversion remains low compared to traditional technologies, such as coal or nuclear. This low efficiency can be explained by connecting the thermoelastic properties of the electronic working fluid to its transport properties. Such connection also shows that operating close to electronic phase transitions can be an efficient way to boost the thermoelectric energy conversion. In this paper, we analyze thermoelectric efficiency close to the metal-insulator Anderson transition. Our results reveal the direct link between the thermoelectric and thermoelastic properties of Anderson-type systems. Moreover, the role of the conductivity critical exponent in the thermoelectric energy conversion is analysed. Finally, we show that relatively large values of the thermoelectric figure of merit may be obtained in the vicinity of the Anderson transition.