The use of Fermi-gas/liquid interfaces to improve the thermoelectric efficiency

Heat transport at a Fermi-gas/Fermi-liquid (FG/FL) interface is investigated on the basis of a simplified model of a semiconductor-metal interface. The results indicate that the Peltier heat-pumping rate can be increased due to the additional heat exchange at the FG/FL interface associated with the electron phase transition between the Fermi gas and Fermi liquid. The electronic latent energy is defined as a measure of the energy absorption or emission accompanying a phase transition. It is proposed that a thermoelectric system which incorporates FG/FL interfaces may exhibit a higher thermoelectric efficiency than that of a conventional thermoelectric system.