Effects of spin and orbital degeneracy on the thermopower of strongly correlated systems

Phys Rev Lett. 2001 Dec 3;87(23):236603. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.236603. Epub 2001 Nov 15.

Abstract

We study thermopower in strongly correlated electron systems with orbital degeneracy using numerical diagonalization method on finite-size clusters. It is shown that the thermopower is strongly enhanced by the spin and orbital degrees of freedom, but the resistivity is significantly less affected. A key for the strategy of new thermoelectric materials in transition metal oxides is proposed in the light of the theory.