Cooling by Thermodynamic Induction

Abstract

A method is described for cooling conductive channels to below ambient temperature. The thermodynamic induction principle dictates that the electrically biased channel will cool if the electrical conductance decreases with temperature. The extent of this cooling is calculated in detail for both case of ballistic and conventional transport with specific calculations for carbon nanotubes and conventional metals, followed by discussions for semiconductors, graphene, and metalinsulator transition systems. A theorem is established for ballistic transport stating that net cooling is not possible. For conventional transport net cooling is possible over a broad temperature range, with the range being size-dependent. A temperature clamping scheme for establishing a metastable nonequilibrium stationary state is detailed and followed with discussion of possible applications to on-chip thermoelectric cooling in integrated circuitry and quantum computer systems.

Nonequilibrium phase transitions and pattern formation as consequences of second-order thermodynamic induction

“…In previous work I considered the case where W DR depends in a linear fashion on one or more gate, or control, variables [1][2][3]. This resulted in a type of TI that is classified as first order, i.e., TI1.…”

“…Thermodynamic induction (TI) has recently been put forward as a general approach towards the study of nonequilibrium systems and has been used to explain some important particular details regarding the manipulations of atoms and molecules by STM [1,2]. A new type of thermoelectric cooling by TI has also been studied and proposed as a good test for the existence of TI [3]. In short, TI can result in a thermodynamic variable being influenced in a surprising way when it plays the role of a gate, or control, variable.…”

“…So far, the TI theory applies to the case of a conductance coefficient (or kinetic coefficient) that depends on a thermodynamic variable in a linear fashion, i.e., the case of first order TI (TI1), ex. the electrical conductivity of a channel depending on the temperature of the channel [3]. What is missing in the theory is a treatment of second order TI (TI2).…”