Large enhancement of thermoelectric effects in a double quantum dot system due to interference and Coulomb correlation phenomena

Thermoelectric effects in a double quantum dot system coupled to external magnetic/nonmagnetic leads are investigated theoretically. The basic thermoelectric transport characteristics, like thermopower, electronic contribution to heat conductance, and the corresponding figure of merit, have been cal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials physics Condensed matter and materials physics, 2012-02, Vol.85 (8), Article 085408
Main Authors: Trocha, Piotr, Barnaś, Józef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Condensed matter
Correlation
Coulomb friction
Figure of merit
Interference
Mathematical analysis
Qunatum dots
Thermoelectricity
Transport
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Summary:Thermoelectric effects in a double quantum dot system coupled to external magnetic/nonmagnetic leads are investigated theoretically. The basic thermoelectric transport characteristics, like thermopower, electronic contribution to heat conductance, and the corresponding figure of merit, have been calculated in terms of the linear response theory and Green function formalism in the Hartree-Fock approximation for Coulomb interactions. An enhancement of the thermal efficiency (figure of merit ZT) due to Coulomb blockade has been found. The magnitude of ZT is further considerably enhanced by quantum interference effects. Both the Coulomb correlations and interference effects lead to strong violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law. The influence of spin-dependent transport and spin bias on the thermoelectric effects (especially on Seebeck and spin Seebeck effects) is also analyzed.
ISSN:1098-0121
1550-235X
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.85.085408