A Monomaterial Nernst Thermopile with Hermaphroditic Legs

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Thermoelectrics

Background:

• The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) is a large transverse thermoelectric response observed in topological magnets.
• Recent propositions focus on building thermopiles utilizing the ANE for energy harvesting.
• Traditional thermopiles rely on P and N type thermocouples, which can be complex to fabricate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and construct a novel thermopile using a single material.
• To exploit the anomalous Nernst effect in topological magnets for thermoelectric applications.
• To simplify thermopile fabrication and improve efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A thermopile was designed and built using an array of tilted adjacent crystals of Mn3Sn.
• The design replaces traditional P and N thermocouples with hermaphroditic legs.
• The device utilizes the large lag angle between the applied field and magnetization.

Main Results:

• A functional thermopile was successfully fabricated from a single material (Mn3Sn).
• The design effectively utilizes the anomalous Nernst effect.
• The hermaphroditic leg design eliminates extrinsic contact, simplifying fabrication.

Conclusions:

• The developed Mn3Sn thermopile offers a simplified and potentially more efficient alternative to traditional designs.
• Eliminating extrinsic contacts boosts efficiency and simplifies the manufacturing process.
• This work paves the way for a new generation of thermopiles based on topological magnets and the ANE.