Leveraging bipolar effect to enhance transverse thermoelectricity in semimetal Mg2Pb for cryogenic heat pumping

Zhiwei Chen, Xinyue Zhang, Jie Ren, Zezhu Zeng, Yue Chen, Jian He, Lidong Chen () and Yanzhong Pei ()
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Zhiwei Chen: Tongji University
Xinyue Zhang: Tongji University
Jie Ren: Tongji University
Zezhu Zeng: The University of Hong Kong
Yue Chen: The University of Hong Kong
Jian He: Clemson University
Lidong Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yanzhong Pei: Tongji University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Toward high-performance thermoelectric energy conversion, the electrons and holes must work jointly like two wheels of a cart: if not longitudinally, then transversely. The bipolar effect — the main performance restriction in the traditional longitudinal thermoelectricity, can be manipulated to be a performance enhancer in the transverse thermoelectricity. Here, we demonstrate this idea in semimetal Mg2Pb. At 30 K, a giant transverse thermoelectric power factor as high as 400 μWcm−1K−2 is achieved, a 3 orders-of-magnitude enhancement than the longitudinal configuration. The resultant specific heat pumping power is ~ 1 Wg−1, higher than those of existing techniques at 10~100 K. A large number of semimetals and narrow-gap semiconductors making poor longitudinal thermoelectrics due to severe bipolar effect are thus revived to fill the conspicuous gap of thermoelectric materials for solid-state applications.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24161-1

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