Thermoelectric properties of a weakly coupled quantum dot: enhanced thermoelectric efficiency

We study the thermoelectric coefficients of a multi-level quantum dot (QD) weakly coupled to two electron reservoirs in the Coulomb blockade regime. Detailed calculations and analytical expressions of the power factor and the figure of merit are presented. We restrict our interest to the limit where the energy separation between successive energy levels is much larger than the thermal energy (i.e., the quantum limit) and we report a giant enhancement of the figure of merit due to the violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law when phonons are frozen. We point out the similarity of the electronic and the phonon contribution to the thermal conductance for zero dimensional electrons and phonons. Both contributions show an activated behavior. Our findings suggest that the control of the electron and phonon confinement effects can lead to nanostructures with improved thermoelectric properties.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Theory of phonon-drag thermopower of extrinsic semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes and comparison with previous experimental data

A theoretical model for the calculation of the phonon-drag thermopower, $S^{g}$, in degenerately doped semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is proposed. Detailed calculations of $S^{g}$ are performed as a function of temperature, tube radius and position of the Fermi level. We derive a simple analytical expression for $S^{g}$ that can be utilized to determine the free carrier density in doped nanotubes. At low temperatures $S^{g}$ shows an activated behavior characteristic of the one-dimensional (1D) character of carriers. Screening effects are taken into account and it is found that they dramatically reduce the magnitude of $S^{g}$. Our results are compared with previous published experimental data in bulk p-doped SWCNT materials. Excellent agreement is obtained in the temperature range 10-200 K for a consistent set of parameters. This is a striking result in view of the complexity of these systems.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures. This version has been accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Optimal thermoelectric figure of merit of a molecular junction

We show that a molecular junction can give large values of the thermoelectric figure of merit $ZT$, and so could be used as a solid state energy conversion device that operates close to the Carnot efficiency. The mechanism is similar to the Mahan-Sofo model for bulk thermoelectrics -- the Lorenz number goes to zero violating the Wiedemann-Franz law while the thermopower remains non-zero. The molecular state through which charge is transported must be weakly coupled to the leads, and the energy level of the state must be of order $k_B T$ away from the Fermi energy of the leads. In practice, the figure of merit is limited by the phonon thermal conductance; we show that the largest possible $ZT\sim(\tilde{G}_{th}^{ph})^{-1/2}$, where $\tilde{G}_{th}^{ph}$ is the phonon thermal conductance divided by the thermal conductance quantum.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Violation of the Wiedemann-Franz Law in a Single-Electron Transistor

We study the influence of Coulomb interaction on the thermoelectric transport coefficients for a metallic single-electron transistor. By performing a perturbation expansion up to second order in the tunnel-barrier conductance, we include sequential and cotunneling processes as well as quantum fluctuations that renormalize the charging energy and the tunnel conductance. We find that Coulomb interaction leads to a strong violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law: the Lorenz ratio becomes gate-voltage dependent for sequential tunneling, and is increased by a factor 9/5 in the cotunneling regime. Finally, we suggest a measurement scheme for an experimental realization.Comment: published version, minor changes; 4 pages, 3 figure

Microwave-mediated heat transport through a quantum dot

The thermoelectric effect in a quantum dot (QD) attached to two leads in the presence of microwave fields is studied by using the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function technique. When the microwave is applied only on the QD and in the linear-response regime, the main peaks in the thermoelectric figure of merit and the thermopower are found to decrease, with the emergence of a set of photon-induced peaks. Under this condition the microwave field can not generate heat current or electrical bias voltage. Surprisingly, when the microwave field is applied only to one (bright) lead and not to the other (dark) lead or the QD, heat flows mostly from the dark to the bright lead, almost irrespectively to the direction of the thermal gradient. We attribute this effect to microwave-induced opening of additional transport channels below the Fermi energy. The microwave field can change both the magnitude and the sign of the electrical bias voltage induced by the temperature gradient.Comment: 5 figur

Hypothalamic Inflammation in Obesity, Insulin Resistance and Ageing

In this study, the role of hypothalamic inflammation in obesity, insulin resistance and the regulation of the ageing process is investigated. Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1- and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase (IKK)2-dependent signalling plays a crucial role in the development of obesity-associated insulin and leptin resistance not only in peripheral tissues but also in the CNS. This study demonstrates that constitutive JNK1 activation in agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons of the hypothalamus is sufficient to induce weight gain and adiposity in mice as a consequence of hyperphagia. JNK1 activation increases spontaneous action potential firing of AgRP cells and causes both neuronal leptin resistance in a molecular level and resistance in the anorexigenic and body weight regulating effects of leptin. Similarly, activation of IKK2 signalling in AgRP neurons also increases firing of these cells but fails to cause obesity and leptin resistance. In contrast to JNK1 activation, IKK2 activation blunts insulin signalling in AgRP neurons and impairs systemic glucose homeostasis. Collectively, these experiments reveal both overlapping and non-redundant effects of JNK- and IKK-dependent signalling in AgRP neurons, which cooperate in the manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. JNK1 ablation in the CNS has been demonstrated to resemble the effects of caloric restriction, a dietary intervention that delays ageing. In this study, JNK1 ablation in the CNS results in extended median and maximum lifespan in mice, protection from high-fat diet induced insulin resistance and increased energy expenditure but also increased adiposity and decreased bone mineral density. Hypothalamic inflammation amelioration via JNK1 and/or IKK2 inhibition are potential future therapeutic targets to counteract obesity- and ageing-associated diseases

Thermoelectric transport through strongly correlated quantum dots

The thermoelectric properties of strongly correlated quantum dots, described by a single level Anderson model coupled to conduction electron leads, is investigated using Wilson's numerical renormalization group method. We calculate the electronic contribution, $K_{\rm e}$, to the thermal conductance, the thermopower, $S$, and the electrical conductance, $G$, of a quantum dot as a function of both temperature, $T$, and gate voltage, ${\rm v}_g$, for strong, intermediate and weak Coulomb correlations, $U$, on the dot. For strong correlations and in the Kondo regime, we find that the thermopower exhibits two sign changes, at temperatures $T_{1}({\rm v}_g)$ and $T_{2}({\rm v}_g)$ with $T_{1}< T_{2}$. Such sign changes in $S(T)$ are particularly sensitive signatures of strong correlations and Kondo physics. The relevance of this to recent thermopower measurements of Kondo correlated quantum dots is discussed. We discuss the figure of merit, power factor and the degree of violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law in quantum dots. The extent of temperature scaling in the thermopower and thermal conductance of quantum dots in the Kondo regime is also assessed.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures; published versio