Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Power of the Rare-Earth Metals

Abstract

The Seebeck coefficients (thermoelectric powers) of yttrium, lanthanum, and 11 of the rare earths have been measured for the temperature range 7° to 300°K. The transitions reported by other investigators on specific heat, magnetic moment, and resistivity at the magnetic ordering temperatures are, in many instances, visible also in the curves of thermoelectric power (TEP) vs temperature. The Néel temperature is evidenced by a change in slope in the TEP vs T curve. The ferro-antiferro transition temperature is obvious only in the case of dysprosium and appears as a sharp drop in the curve. With the exception of samarium and ytterbium, the TEP's of the metals are negative throughout most of the temperature range covered, and, with the same exceptions, the TEP curves have about the same slope near room temperature.