Thermoelectric properties of an ultra-thin topological insulator

Abstract

Thermoelectric coefficients of an ultra-thin topological insulator are presented here. The hybridization between top and bottom surface states of a topological insulator plays a significant role. In absence of magnetic field, thermopower increases and thermal conductivity decreases with increase of the hybridization energy. In presence of magnetic field perpendicular to the ultra-thin topological insulator, thermoelectric coefficients exhibit quantum oscillations with inverse magnetic field, whose frequency is strongly modified by the Zeeman energy and phase factor is governed by the product of the Lande g-factor and the hybridization energy. In addition to the numerical results, the low-temperature approximate analytical results of the thermoelectric coefficients are also provided. It is also observed that for a given magnetic field these transport coefficients oscillate with hybridization energy, whose frequency depends on the Lande g-factor.