Size-dependent electron chemical potential in nanostructures derived from statistical configuration

Authors: DESYANA OLENKA MARGARETTA, NADYA AMALIA, FISCA DIAN UTAMI, RIRI MURNIATI, SPARISOMA VIRIDI, MIKRAJUDDIN ABDULLAH

Abstract: We rederived the fermion distribution function by considering the effect of assembly size. We did not use Stirling approximation to avoid the deviation generated by this approximation for a small number of constituents and small assembly size. Furthermore, we identified that in small systems, the chemical potential should also depend on the assembly size. We also rederived a general expression for the size-dependent chemical potential from a statistical configuration and showed that it is consistent with the results from previously reported theoretical or simulation methods. Finally, we applied the model to derive a size-dependent thermoelectric power factor of nanostructured materials. One important finding is that the power factor initially increases when reducing the particle size; however, it then reduces to approach zero when further reducing the material size, due to a dramatic change in the material behaviors.

Keywords: Chemical potential, statistical configuration, thermoelectric power factor, nanostructure

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