Thermoelectric properties of individual single-crystalline PbTe nanowires

We present the thermoelectric properties of individual PbTe nanowires grown by a vapor transport method. Temperature-dependent thermopower and electrical conductivity in PbTe nanowires were investigated. A PbTe nanowire (d = 136 nm) was found to have a Seebeck coefficient of -72 mu V/K and electrical conductivity of 45 S/cm at 300 K. Thermal conductivity of a PbTe nanowire (d = 290 nm) was also found to be 1.36 W/mK at 300 K. Our results demonstrate the enhanced thermoelectric properties of individual single-crystalline PbTe nanowires, which are higher than that in PbTe bulk.