Thermoelectric power of nickel and ytterbium at high pressure: a comparative study

The thermoelectric power (TEP) of Ni and Yb have been investigated up to 10 and 7 GPa, respectively, with a new laser-heated diamond anvil cell techni que. Ni exhibits free electron-like behavior that can be explained by the M ott expression for thermopower. A small decrease in the TEP is observed in the pressure range 2-3 GPa. There are variations in the TEP of Yb as a func tion of pressure that correlate with previously observed structural phase t ransitions. The increase in TEP of Yb in the metallic bcc phase is understo od from the increase in the Hubbard coulomb correlation energy. (C) 2000 El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.