Seebeck-driven transverse thermoelectric generation

When a temperature gradient is applied to a closed circuit comprising two different conductors, a charge current is generated via the Seebeck effect(1). Here, we utilize the Seebeck-effect-induced charge current to drive 'transverse' thermoelectric generation, which has great potential for energy harvesting and heat sensing applications owing to the orthogonal geometry of the heat-to-charge-current conversion(2-9). We found that, in a closed circuit comprising thermoelectric and magnetic materials, artificial hybridization of the Seebeck effect into the anomalous Hall effect(10) enables transverse thermoelectric generation with a similar symmetry to the anomalous Nernst effect(11-27). Surprisingly, the Seebeck-effect-driven transverse thermopower can be several orders of magnitude larger than the anomalous-Nernst-effect-driven thermopower, which is clearly demonstrated by our experiments using Co2MnGa/Si hybrid materials. The unconventional approach could be a breakthrough in developing applications of transverse thermoelectric generation.

Automated summary

This study utilizes the Seebeck effect to drive transverse thermoelectric generation, which shows great potential for energy harvesting and heat sensing applications, especially with the orthogonal geometry in the heat-to-charge current conversion. By hybridizing Seebeck effect and anomalous Hall effect in a closed circuit comprising thermoelectric and magnetic materials, a similar symmetry to the anomalous Nernst effect can be achieved in transverse thermoelectric generation. The Seebeck-effect-driven transverse thermopower is found to be several orders of magnitude larger than the anomalous-Nernst-effect-driven thermopower, indicating a promising unconventional approach for developing applications of transverse thermoelectric generation.