Active Peltier Coolers Based on Correlated and Magnon-Drag Metals

Why be passive? This study points to the difference between thermoelectric refrigeration and the use of thermoelectrics in active cooling of $e.g.$ electronics, lasers, or batteries. Unlike in refrigeration, here heat has to be drained from a temperature $a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}b\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}v\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e$ that of the heat sink (which will happen naturally, but perhaps not quickly enough). In refrigeration, the most important criterion is the thermoelectric figure of merit $Z\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}T$, but in active cooling a device needs to have high thermal conductivity plus a high power factor. Thus high-$Z\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}T$ Peltier modules are actually counterindicated for active cooling\dots{}even though they are sold commercially for it.