Materials design criteria for ultra-high thermoelectric power factors in metals

TL;DR

This paper theoretically identifies electronic structure features in metals, such as band overlap and scattering, that enable ultra-high thermoelectric power factors, challenging the traditional view that metals are unsuitable for thermoelectric applications.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework showing how specific electronic transport characteristics can produce high power factors in metals, expanding thermoelectric material design possibilities.

Findings

High transport asymmetry enhances Seebeck coefficient.

Strong inter-band scattering increases power factor.

Large band overlap contributes to high thermoelectric performance.

Abstract

Metals have high electronic conductivities, but very low Seebeck coefficients, which traditionally make them unsuitable for thermoelectric materials. Recent studies, however, showed that metals can deliver ultra-high thermoelectric power factors (PFs) under certain conditions. In this work, we theoretically examine the electronic structure and electronic transport specifications which allow for such high PFs. Using Boltzmann transport (BTE) simulations and a multi-band electronic structure model, we show that metals with: i) high degree of transport asymmetry between their bands, ii) strong inter-band scattering, and iii) a large degree of band overlap, can provide ultra-high power factors. We show that each of these characteristics adds to the steepness of the transport distribution function of the BTE, which allows for an increase of the Seebeck coefficient to sizable values, simultaneously with an increase in the electrical conductivity. This work generalizes the concept that transport asymmetry (i.e., mixture of energy regions of high and low contributions to the electrical conductivity), through a combination of different band masses, scattering strengths, or energy filtering scenarios, etc., can indeed result in very high thermoelectric power factors, even in the absence of a material bandgap. Under certain conditions, transport asymmetry can over-compensate any performance degradation to the PF due to bipolar conduction and the naturally low Seebeck coefficients that otherwise exist in this class of materials.