Non-equilibrium Phenomenon between Electron and Lattice Systems Induced by the Peltier Effect

Abstract

Temperature distributions of the electron and lattice systems induced by the Peltier effect have been precisely measured by improved Harman method, where the temperature differences (ÁT el and ÁT la ) have been independently evaluated for several terminal lengths (L V ) in thermoelectric materials (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 . Both temperature distributions have different behaviors in the stationary state, that is, the L V dependences of ÁT el and ÁT la show positive and negative curvatures, respectively. It is also indicated that the temperature difference has a linear relation to L V in the whole system and the observed non-equilibrium phenomenon is consistent with a law of the conservation of heat quantity.