Anisotropic thermopower in tilted metallic multilayer structures

Thermoelectric fields transverse to an applied temperature gradient are observed in tilted metallic multilayer structures. Constantan–chromel multilayers are prepared by sintering stacks of alternating thin foils of these materials. Effective “in-plane” and “out-of-plane” Seebeck coefficients and heat conductivities of the foil stacks are calculated from data for the isotropic metals. Tilted multilayer structures obtained by cutting stacks obliquely may be used as devices for detecting laser radiation. The thermoelectric response of several multilayer structures and anisotropic crystalline systems is compared