Quantum Bipolar Thermoelectricity
Abstract
Thermoelectricity is generally understood as a classical effect emerging from energy-dependent transport asymmetries. Here we uncover a purely quantum mechanism, where a superconducting S-I-S' tunnel junction in thermal equilibrium develops a nonlinear bipolar thermoelectric response owing to the dynamical Coulomb blockade and the emission-absorption imbalance of a cold electromagnetic bath. Two representative environments are analysed, revealing Seebeck coefficients up to 100 V/K for realistic junction parameters. Because the response directly reflects the spectral properties of the surrounding environment, our results suggest that bipolar quantum thermoelectricity could provide a new route for spectroscopic sensing of electromagnetic modes and for designing low-temperature thermoelectric devices with environmentally engineered performance.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.03219,
title = {Quantum Bipolar Thermoelectricity},
author = {Filippo Antola and Giorgio De Simoni and Francesco Giazotto and Alessandro Braggio},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.03219},
year = {2025}
}