We analyze the thermal transport properties of the Falicov-Kimball model concentrating on locating regions of parameter space where the thermoelectric figure of merit $\mathrm{ZT}$ is large. We focus on high temperature for power generation applications and low temperature for cooling applications. We constrain the static particles (ions) to have a fixed concentration, and vary the conduction electron concentration as in the binary-alloy picture of the Falicov-Kimball model. We find a large region of parameter space with $\mathrm{ZT}>\mathrm{}1\mathrm{}$ at high temperature and we find a small region of parameter space with $\mathrm{ZT}>\mathrm{}1\mathrm{}$ at low temperature for correlated systems, but we believe inclusion of the lattice thermal conductivity will greatly reduce the low-temperature figure of merit.

• Received 18 November 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.195120