The figure of merit ZT is measured by a Harman method on simple devices prepared on single thermoelectric layers of different thicknesses. The thermoelectric layers are prepared at different conditions by laser ablation from Bi2Te3 target. The best measured figure of merit ZT is for our devices ZT=2.65. This result is comparable with the results obtained on superlattices. ZT oscillated with the thickness of the layers. On some devices the Seebeck coefficient is measured and using conductivity measurements along the thermoelectric layers the thermal conductivity is estimated from ZT. The low thermal conductivity of samples is explained by the quantum size effect and by existence of few phases of type Bi2(m+n)Te3n in the thermoelectric layers.
Unlike ferromagnetic materials, ferrimagnetic metals have recently received considerable attention due to their bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, low net magnetization and tunable magnetic properties. This makes them perfect candidates for the research of recently discovered spin-torque related phenomena. Among other ferrimagnetic metals, GdFe has an advantage in relatively large magnetic moments in both sublattices and tunability of compensation point above the room temperature by small changes in its composition. We present a systematic study of optical and magneto-optical properties of amorphous GdxFe(100-x) thin films of various compositions (x = 18.3, 20.0, 24.7, 26.7) prepared by DC sputtering on thermally oxidized SiO2 substrates. A combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry and magneto-optical spectroscopy in the photon energy range from 1.5 to 5.5 eV with advanced theoretical models allowed us to deduce the spectral dependence of complete permittivity tensors across the compensation point. Such information is important for further optical detection of spin related phenomena driven by vicinity of compensation point in nanostructures containing GdFe.
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