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Thermoelectric Effects in Tunneling of Spin-Polarized Electrons in a Molecular Transistor

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Abstract

Thermal transmission in a molecular transistor with fully spin-polarized electrodes subjected to a temperature gradient is considered. The problem has been solved using the density matrix method in perturbation approach over a small tunneling width. It has been found that due to the vibronic effects, a spintronic molecular transistor is characterized by negative differential thermoconductance. It has been demonstrated that in the dependence of thermopower S on the detuning energy, there is an increased number of points of change of the sign and magnitude of S comparing with that of a conventional molecular transistor. Optimal parameters, that provide the highest thermoelectric power at maximum efficiency \(P_\mathrm{me}\) for a spintronic molecular transistor, have been found. The dependences of the figure of merit ZT and \(P_\mathrm{me}\) on temperature and an external magnetic field have been calculated, and the influence of Coulomb interaction on the thermoelectric properties has been studied. It has been revealed that for nonzero Coulomb interaction, a more handy regime of thermoelectric device develops, characterized by a continuous region of external magnetic fields, which provide high values of thermoelectric power.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks I.V. Krive for conceptualization of the problem and useful advices and S.I. Kulinich, O.A. Ilinskaya and O.M. Bahrova for fruitful discussions. This work is supported by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Scientific Program 1.4.10.26.4).

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  1. B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 47 Prospekt Nauky, Kharkiv, 61103, Ukraine

    A. D. Shkop

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Shkop, A.D. Thermoelectric Effects in Tunneling of Spin-Polarized Electrons in a Molecular Transistor. J Low Temp Phys 208, 248–270 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-022-02758-0

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