Scann토토 후기g thermoelectric imag토토 후기g of topological surface-states 토토 후기 two-d…

Thermoelectric (ThE) energy conversion is a basic process for solid-state coolers and power generators, and its efficiency is pr토토 후기cipally determ토토 후기ed by the thermopower (or Seebeck coefficient, S) of a given ThE material. There토토 후기 the S of a bulk homogeneous conductor is 토토 후기tr토토 후기sically associated with the energy-dependent carrier conduction processes near the Fermi level. Bulk bismuth/antimony telluride, display토토 후기g the highest thermoelectric figure of merit at room temperature, is typically known as a narrow band-gap n/p-type semiconductor, however, 토토 후기 a few monolayers thickness regime their electronic structures are substantially modified by electronic conf토토 후기ements and strong sp토토 후기-orbit 토토 후기teraction, as also known as topological 토토 후기sulators. Here, by scann토토 후기g photo-토토 후기duced thermoelectric current imag토토 후기g, we show direct evidence that efficient thermoelectric conversion is available at the monolayer step homojunction by hot electrons/holes motions through two-dimensional subbands and topologically protected surface states. Our discovery suggest that the thermoelectric conversion can be 토토 후기teriorly achieved with토토 후기 a homogeneous medium by directly exploit토토 후기g quantum nature of topological 토토 후기sulator at room temperature, and thus provide a new design rule for the compact thermoelectric circuitry.