Quantum Nernst effect in a bismuth single crystal

Abstract

We report a theoretical calculation explaining the quantum Nernst effect observed experimentally in a bismuth single crystal. Generalizing the edge-current picture in two dimensions, we show that the peaks of the Nernst coefficient survive in three dimensions due to a van Hove singularity. We also evaluate the phonon-drag effect on the Nernst coefficient numerically. Our result agrees with the experimental result for a bismuth single crystal.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Proceedings of ISQM-Tokyo '0