On the effective thermoelectric properties of layered heterogeneous medium

The effective thermoelectric behavior of layered heterogeneous medium is studied, with the distribution of temperature, electric potential, and heat flux solved rigorously from the governing equations, and the effective thermoelectric properties defined through an equivalency principle. It is discovered that the effective thermoelectric figure of merit of a composite medium can be higher than all of its constituents even in the absence of size and interface effects, in contrast to previous studies. This points toward a new route for high figure of merit thermoelectric materials. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3674279]