Seebeck coefficients in nanoscale junctions: Effects of electron-vibration scattering and local heating

Abstract

We report first-principles calculations of inelastic Seebeck coefficients in an aluminum monatomic junction. We compare the elastic and inelastic Seebeck coefficients with and without local heating. In the low-temperature regime, the signature of normal modes in the profiles of the inelastic Seebeck effects is salient. The inelastic Seebeck effects are enhanced by the normal modes and further magnified by local heating. In the high-temperature regime, the inelastic Seebeck effects are weakly suppressed due to the quasiballistic transport.