Experimental setup for the Seebeck and Nernst coefficient measurements.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate measurement of thermoelectric and thermomagnetic coefficients is crucial for understanding material properties.
• Characterizing novel materials, especially small crystal flakes, requires specialized experimental setups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a novel experimental setup for measuring Seebeck and Nernst coefficients.
• To enable precise characterization of small-sized and thin-film materials.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multifunctional probe assembly of a physical property measurement system.
• Automated measurements using LabVIEW software across a temperature range of 1.8 K-380 K and magnetic fields up to 8 T.
• Employed a quasi-static approach with controlled thermal gradients (0.2 K-1.2 K).

Main Results:

• The setup successfully measures Seebeck and Nernst coefficients on samples as small as 2 × 1 mm² and micrometers in thickness.
• Achieved high sensitivity (< 0.1 µV/K) and accuracy (< 0.5 µV/K) in measurements.
• Demonstrated the setup's capability by measuring well-known semimetallic, thermoelectric, and superconducting systems.

Conclusions:

• The developed experimental setup provides a versatile and automated platform for precise Seebeck and Nernst coefficient measurements.
• This system is particularly valuable for the characterization of delicate single crystal flakes and small-volume materials.
• The demonstrated accuracy and sensitivity pave the way for advanced studies in thermoelectric and thermomagnetic phenomena.