ZT enhancement using nanocomposite materials

The effect of interface scattering on the performance of disordered, nanocomposite thermoelectric materials is studied theoretically (within a linear response formalism), using effective medium theory, and direct numerics. The general relation between interfacial and bulk transport properties which results in an enhanced ZT is determined. Given these requirements of interfacial transport properties, a series of microscopic calculations of interface scattering are presented to assess the feasibility of using nanocomposites for ZT enhancement.