Spin-Selective Thermoelectric Transport in a Triangular Spin Ladder

TL;DR

This paper theoretically explores how lattice geometry and magnetic order in a triangular spin ladder can be engineered to achieve highly efficient, spin-selective thermoelectric transport, surpassing charge thermoelectric performance.

Contribution

It demonstrates how lattice topology and magnetic ordering enable spin-selective thermoelectric effects and shows how lattice engineering enhances spin thermoelectric efficiency.

Findings

High spin thermoelectric figure of merit ZT achieved

Spin figure of merit exceeds charge ZT in optimized regimes

Lattice engineering enables controlled spin-dependent transport

Abstract

We theoretically investigate spin-resolved thermoelectric transport in a triangular ladder geometry hosting antiferromagnetic spin alignment, where lattice topology and magnetic ordering jointly enable highly efficient spin-selective energy conversion. The inherent geometric frustration of the ladder, together with intrinsic spin-filtering mechanisms, is shown to promote a pronounced separation between spin channels. Implementing spin-dependent onsite modulations, such as binary asymmetric potentials, induces pronounced spin splitting in the transmission spectrum, enabling controlled spin-selective transport and highlighting the role of lattice engineering in tailoring spin-dependent thermoelectric response. Additional control is achieved through modulation of the hopping amplitudes, which activates multiple transport pathways and allows fine tuning of spin-dependent conduction. A detailed evaluation of charge and spin thermoelectric coefficients reveals a strong enhancement of the thermoelectric performance, with the dimensionless figure of merit ZT reaching large values in optimized parameter regimes. Notably, the spin figure of merit systematically surpasses its charge counterpart, underscoring the decisive role of lattice geometry and antiferromagnetic order in amplifying spin thermoelectric efficiency. Our findings provide a versatile theoretical platform for designing low-dimensional spin-caloritronic devices with enhanced functionality.