Controlling the thermoelectric effect by mechanical manipulation of the electron's quantum phase in atomic junctions.

ABSTRACT: The thermoelectric voltage developed across an atomic metal junction (i.e., a nanostructure in which one or a few atoms connect two metal electrodes) in response to a temperature difference between the electrodes, results from the quantum interference of electrons that pass through the junction multiple times after being scattered by the surrounding defects. Here we report successfully tuning this quantum interference and thus controlling the magnitude and sign of the thermoelectric voltage by applying a mechanical force that deforms the junction. The observed switching of the thermoelectric voltage is reversible and can be cycled many times. Our ab initio and semi-empirical calculations elucidate the detailed mechanism by which the quantum interference is tuned. We show that the applied s

SUBMITTER: Aiba A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5554135 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature