Thermal transport in the Falicov-Kimball model

Abstract

We prove the Jonson-Mahan theorem for the thermopower of the Falicov-Kimball model by solving explicitly for the correlation functions in the large dimensional limit. We prove a similar result for the thermal conductivity. We separate the results for thermal transport into the pieces of the heat current that arise from the kinetic energy and those that arise from the potential energy. Our method of proof is specific to the Falicov-Kimball model, but illustrates the near cancellations between the kinetic-energy and potential-energy pieces of the heat current implied by the Jonson-Mahan theorem.