Does Topology Enhance Thermoelectric Efficiency? A Case Study in Bismuthene

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) bismuth (Bi) layer, known as bismuthene, exhibits $Z2$ topological bulk states due to large spin-orbit coupling that inverts the bands. Using the tight-binding method, we calculate the band structure of buckled bismuthene to understand its topological and trivial phases. We determine the thermoelectric properties for some considered phases, incorporating the edge states contribution, by using the linearized Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) with a constant relaxation time approximation. It is shown that the thermoelectric figure of merit, $ZT$, actually drops in undoped topological bismuthene due to the edge effects. Surprisingly, the topological edge states enhance $ZT$ at large doping with the Fermi energy near the bottom of bulk bands when bismuthene is nearly metallic.