The surface-to-volume ratio: a key parameter in the thermoelectric transport of topological insulator Bi2Se3 nanowires

Abstract

We systematically investigated the role of topological surface states on thermoelectric transport by varying the surface-to-volume ratio (s/v) of Bi₂Se₃ nanowires. The thermoelectric coefficients of Bi₂Se₃ nanowires were significantly influenced by the topological surface states with increasing the s/v. The Seebeck coefficient of Bi₂Se₃ nanowires decreased with increasing the s/v, while the electrical conductivity increased with increasing the s/v. This implies that the influence of metallic surface states become dominant in thermoelectric transport in thin nanowires, and the s/v is a key parameter which determines the total thermoelectric properties. Our measurements were corroborated by using a two-channel Boltzmann transport model.