Electronic quality factor for thermoelectrics.

Development of thermoelectrics usually involves trial-and-error investigations, including time-consuming synthesis and measurements. Here, we identify the electronic quality factor for determining the maximum thermoelectric power factor, which can be conveniently estimated by a single measurement of Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of only one sample, not necessarily optimized, at an arbitrary temperature. We demonstrate that thousands of experimental measurements in dozens of materials can all be described by a universal curve and a single material parameter for each class of materials.

Weighted Mobility.

Engineering semiconductor devices requires an understanding of charge carrier mobility. Typically, mobilities are estimated using Hall effect and electrical resistivity meausrements, which are are routinely performed at room temperature and below, in materials with mobilities greater than 1 cm V s . With the availability of combined Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity measurement systems, it is now easy to measure the weighted mobility (electron mobility weighted by the density of electronic states).