| ingle crystals of the high-temperature superconductor ;A heat current will, in general, accompany an electric current flowing through a tunneling junction in which electrons occupy different energy states on either side of the junction. This is the physical basis for a proposed class of cryogenic thermoelectric refrigerators. I discuss the refrigerating properties of the quantum-dot thermoelectric refrigerator, using numerical simulations to establish its base temperature, optimum operating temperature, and refrigerating efficiency. I also consider the operating constraints imposed by phonon absorption and the finite electron-electron scattering rate, finding that macroscopic metallic electron gases can be cooled at ambient temperatures in the... |
