Thermoelectric properties of junctions between metal and strongly correlated semiconductor

We propose a junction of metal and rare-earth compound semiconductor as the basis for a possible efficient low-temperature thermoelectric device. If a n overlayer of rare-earth atoms differing from the bulk is placed at the in terface, very high values of the figure of merit ZT can be reached at low t emperature. This is due to sharp variation of the transmission coefficient of carriers across the junction at a narrow energy range, which is intrinsi cally linked to the localized character of the overlayer f orbital. (C) 200 0 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)02545-6].