Correlated evolution of colossal thermoelectric effect and Kondo insulating behavior

We report the magnetic and transport properties of the Ru1-xFexSb2 solid solution, showing how the colossal thermoelectric performance of FeSb2 evolves due to changes in the amount of 3d vs. 4d electron character. The physical property trends shed light on the physical picture underlying one of the best low-T thermoelectric power factors known to date. Some of the compositions warrant further study as possible n- and p-type thermoelements for Peltier cooling well below 300 K. Our findings enable us to suggest possible new Kondo insulating systems that might behave similarly to FeSb2 as advanced thermoelectrics. (C) 2013 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.