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TUT: Tutorien

TUT 4: Thermoelectricity – Fundamental Aspects, Materials, Applications (joint session TT/TUT/MA)

TUT 4.1: Tutorial

Sunday, March 17, 2024, 16:00–16:40, H 1058

Transport properties of thermoelectric materials — •Maria Ibáñez — Institute of Science and Technology (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria

Thermoelectricity is the phenomenon of converting heat directly into electricity and vice versa. As energy harvesters, thermoelectric devices can be used to partially recover large quantities of the waste heat to reduce our primary energy production or to run low-power devices, especially those that require autonomy, such as sensors and transmitters in remote or difficult-to-access locations. Furthermore, its reversible nature allows thermoelectric devices to be operated as precise coolers for small-scale temperature control. Such localized cooling is crucial in infrared detectors, microelectronics, and optoelectronics, among others, where space is limited, and heat dissipation is localized. This lecture will provide a comprehensive introduction to thermoelectricity. We will begin by giving a brief history of thermoelectrics, a description of the phenomenon, and its potential applications. Later on, we will introduce the fundamental principles of thermoelectricity, emphasizing the importance of material properties, in particular, those related to electronic and thermal transport. We will present the thermoelectric figure of merit and its significance as a metric for evaluating thermoelectric efficiency. ZT components, including electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity, and their interplay in determining the overall performance will be deeply evaluated, and the different strategies to maximize performance will be presented using, as examples, traditional thermoelectric materials.