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

Piotr Trocha and Józef Barnaś
Phys. Rev. B 85, 085408 – Published 3 February 2012

Abstract

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.

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  • Received 9 September 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.085408

©2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Piotr Trocha1,* and Józef Barnaś1,2,†

  • 1Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, PL-61-614 Poznań, Poland
  • 2Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-60-179 Poznań, Poland

  • *ptrocha@amu.edu.pl
  • barnas@amu.edu.pl

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Issue

Vol. 85, Iss. 8 — 15 February 2012

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