Thermoelectric effect in Aharonov-Bohm structures.

The thermoelectric effects of a single Aharonov-Bohm (SAB) ring and coupled double Aharonov-Bohm (DAB) rings have been investigated on a theoretical basis, taking into account the contributions of both electrons and phonons to the transport process by using the nonequilibrium Green's function technique. The thermoelectric figure of merit of the coupled DAB rings cannot be predicted directly by combining the values of two SAB ring systems due to the contribution of electron-phonon interaction to coupling between the two sites connecting the rings. We find that thermoelectric efficiency can be optimized by modulating the phases of the magnetic flux threading the two rings.