Phys.org  May 26, 2021 The principal challenges in current thermoelectric power generation modules are the availability of stable, diffusion-resistant, lossless electrical and thermal metal–semiconductor contacts that do not degrade at the hot end nor cause reductions in device efficiency. Transverse thermoelectrics avoid this problem by producing a current that runs perpendicular to the conducting device, requiring contacts only on the cold end of the generator. However, the materials known to create this sideways voltage are impractically inefficient. A team of researchers in the US (Ohio State University, University of Illinois) demonstrated that a layered crystal consisting of the elements rhenium […]