Thermal efficiency of a quasi-one-dimensional conductor

Abstract

How does a system's dimension affect its thermal efficiency? In this work, we will show that if conduction is constrained in a single direction in a three dimensional conductor, it will become more efficient in conducting thermal energy as its width is reduced. Herein, we investigate the electric and thermal properties of a quasi-one-dimensional conductor using the free electron gas model in the relaxation time approximation scheme. This is demonstrated in the wire width dependence of the electric conductivity, thermal conductivity and figure of merit. We will also show the dependence of these transport properties to the system’s chemical potential.