Eur. Phys. J. B 82, 153-158 (2011)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2011-20245-4

Thermoelectric effects in a double-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometer with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

College of Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Jiangsu, 210016, P.R. China

Corresponding author: ^a zpniu@nuaa.edu.cn

Received: 29 March 2011
Revised: 29 May 2011
Published online: 14 July 2011

Abstract

We investigate the thermoelectric effects in a double-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometer coupled to ferromagnetic leads held at different temperatures. The interplay of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (RSOI) and magnetic flux ϕ induces various interesting spin-dependent interference phenomena. The thermoelectric transport oscillates with ϕ. The peak of the thermopower S and figure of merit ZT splits into two new peaks and its splitting increases with the Rashba induced phase factor φ_R. With increasing φ_R S and ZT at ϕ = ± 2nπ (n = 0,1,2,...) exhibit a conversion from a peak to a valley. In the presence of the interplay of RSOI and ϕ by increasing spin polarization the splitting peaks of S (ZT) become asymmetric and ZT is greatly enhanced. The influence of the quantum dot levels on thermoelectric effects is also analyzed.