Reversal of Thermoelectric Current in Tubular Nanowires

Sigurdur I. Erlingsson, Andrei Manolescu, George Alexandru Nemnes, Jens H. Bardarson, and David Sanchez
Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 036804 – Published 21 July 2017
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Abstract

We calculate the charge current generated by a temperature bias between the two ends of a tubular nanowire. We show that in the presence of a transversal magnetic field the current can change sign; i.e., electrons can either flow from the hot to the cold reservoir, or in the opposite direction, when the temperature bias increases. This behavior occurs when the magnetic field is sufficiently strong, such that Landau and snaking states are created, and the energy dispersion is nonmonotonic with respect to the longitudinal wave vector. The sign reversal can survive in the presence of impurities. We predict this result for core-shell nanowires, for uniform nanowires with surface states due to the Fermi level pinning, and for topological insulator nanowires.

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  • Received 28 April 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.036804

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

  1. Physical Systems
Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Sigurdur I. Erlingsson1, Andrei Manolescu1, George Alexandru Nemnes2,3, Jens H. Bardarson4,5, and David Sanchez6

  • 1School of Science and Engineering, Reykjavik University, Menntavegur 1, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland
  • 2University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, MDEO Research Center, 077125 Magurele-Ilfov, Romania
  • 3Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 077126 Magurele-Ilfov, Romania
  • 4Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, 01187 Dresden, Germany
  • 5Department of Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm SE-106 91 Sweden
  • 6Institute of Interdisciplinary Physics and Complex Systems IFISC (CSIC-UIB), E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain

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Issue

Vol. 119, Iss. 3 — 21 July 2017

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