In this curs, we will discuss the physics/chemistry behind thermoelectric devices and describe the specific materials requirements. In particular, we focus on understanding the structure-property relationship and the design principles of modern inorganic materials for prospective applications in thermoelectrics. The course intends to provide a general understanding of the phenomena involved in this application and present a broad view of the respective state-of-the-art research lines. We will also study the different techniques used to measure transport (thermal and electronic) properties) Finally, we will discuss different techniques for the synthesis of inorganic materials (single crystal, thin films and nanoparticles).
- Thermoelectricity:
- Description of the phenomenon and historical evolution
- Thermoelectric cooling and power generation applications
- Thermoelectric cost-efficiency trade-off
- Thermoelectric transport coefficients and thermal conductivity
- Novel materials and structures
- Devices
- Transport properties measurement set ups
- Modeling of transport properties
- Conventional synthetic techniques
- Colloidal nanoparticle synthesis
Target group: Everyone interested in understanding the basics of how materials work and how they can be produced. Students with a background in physics, chemistry, or biology. The course level will be adapted to the students enrolled in the lecture.
Prerequisites: Basic Knowledge of solid state physics/chemistry will be beneficial. In particular, understanding of:
- crystal structure and its relationship to properties
- electronic structure (energy band diagrams)
- fundamental principles of semiconductors
- chemical bonding
In either case, those concept will be refreshed during the course.
Evaluation: The evaluation will be based on attendance and participation in the discussion sessions
Teaching format: The course will be split into lectures (2x week) and open discussion sessions (1x week). During the discussion session, we will debate 2 papers corresponding to the previous week's lectures. The students will have to read those papers prior to the discussion session. Moreover, every week, 2 different students will be selected to briefly describe the paper's findings as a starting note for the discussion. We will also dedicate a week (3 lessons) to the transport properties modeling.
ECTS: 3 Year: 2021
Teacher(s):
Maria Ibáñez
Teaching assistant(s):
If you want to enroll to this course, please click: REGISTER
- Teacher: Maria IBANEZ
- Teaching Assistant: Tobias Kleinhanns