Giant Peltier conductivity in an uncompensated semimetal Ta₂PdSe₆

Abstract

Abstract Thermoelectric properties of single crystal Ta 2 PdSe 6 is investigated by means of transport measurements, and a density functional calculation. We found a giant Peltier conductivity of 100 A cm −1 K −1 at 10 K and successfully explained it by means of conventional semiconductor theory. We concluded that an uncompensated semimetal, high mobility, and heavy effective mass are responsible for the giant Peltier conductivity. Our finding opens a new ground in the field of thermoelectrics to explore much better semimetals for a new possible application such as an electric current generator for a superconducting magnet.