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Geometry-modulated metamaterials for enhanced thermoelectric effects and decreased thermal conduction

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Abstract

Geometry-modulated nanowaveguides were proposed 10 years ago for enhanced thermoelectric effects and controlled heat conduction at the nanoscale. This class of metamaterials is now considered promising for breakthrough in energy-related applications as well as for novel devices for next-generation nanotechnologies. In the quantum confinement regime, their operation lies on modification of electron and phonon energy states by quantum interference between waves scattered at geometrical discontinuities. Above the quantum confinement regime, scattering effects dominate transport. Research is currently focusing on understanding and modelling geometry-modulation effects on phonon transport. Here, we provide physics evidence to support that a new property, the transmissivity can serve as metric for effects of geometry-modulation on scattering as the transmission coefficient is a metric for effects of geometry-modulation on carriers’ energy states. Significant enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit is predicted when the electron mean free path is smaller than geometry-modulation characteristic dimensions.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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  1. Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 34400, Psachna, Greece

    Xanthippi Zianni

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  1. Xanthippi Zianni
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Correspondence to Xanthippi Zianni.

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Zianni, X. Geometry-modulated metamaterials for enhanced thermoelectric effects and decreased thermal conduction. MRS Advances 6, 707–712 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-021-00106-0

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