Quantum Engineered Thermoelectric Applications

2.2 Quantum sensing(Quantum metrology/Sensing/Imaging, Optical lattice clocks)
2.3 Quantum materials(Topological materials/Thermoelectric devices/Functional materials)

Category of registered projects $${r2018_SETTINGS.langTextNewWindow}$

Satoru Nakatsuji

Graduate School of Science

Professor

Since its discovery in the 19th century, the magnetic thermoelectric effect, known as the “anomalous Nernst effect (ANE),” has been studied from the perspective of basic science. However, it is thought to have little practical value due to its small magnitude. Yet recently, interesting topological states that hide inside seemingly ordinary materials has been found to boost the ANE, and progress has been achieved towards the realm of technological innovation. A typical example is the Weyl magnet that exhibits a surprisingly large ANE, which is promising for fundamentally new designs of thermoelectric devices that reshape the traditional paradigm based on the Seebeck effect. In this project, we fabricate thermoelectric modules and heat flux sensors using newly discovered topological magnets, and explore their potential commercialization.

Seebeck effect (a) and Nernst effect (b) have longitudinal and the transverse geometries between the voltage and temperature difference, respectively.
U. Tokyo

Conventional thermopiles based on the Seebeck effect (a) and the newly designed thermopiles based on the anomalous Nernst effect (b), respectively. In comparison to the pillar structure using p- and n-type semiconductors in conventional thermoelectronics, the thermopile structure based on the anomalous Nernst effect is relatively simple e.g. a film-type (yellow) deposited on a flexible substrate (b)
U. Tokyo

Related publications

Sakai, S. Minami, T. Koretsune, T. Chen, T. Higo, et al., Nature 581, 53 (2020).
Sakai et al., Nature Physics 14, 1119–1124 (2018).
M. Ikhlas et al., Nature Physics 13, 1085-1090 (2017).