Thermoelectric properties of Pb1-xSnxTe/PbTe quantum well structures

Abstract

The search of material with improved thermoelectric properties continues to be important and urgent problem. The first investigation of thermoelectric opportunities of low dimensional structures began about decade ago in papers. Based on the simple model of quantum well (QW) and constant relaxation time approximation the authors had demonstrated theoretically and experimentally the possibility of considerable rise of thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) as the consequence of the effect of density of state increase in such structures. Different approaches to this problem and different QW systems have been considered . The general conclusion was that the ZT enhancement in quantum wells is not as drastic as predicted by original simple model. At the same time an alternative way of achieving higher ZT via the decrease of phonon thermal conductivity in low dimensional structures has been proposed . More recently, attention turned to the structures of even lower dimensionality such as quantum dot arrays.