Anomalously large thermoelectric cooling figure of merit in the Kondo systems CePd3 and Celn3

Measurements of thermopower, resistivity, and thermal conductivity for the rare-earth intermetallic compounds CePd3 and CeIn3 indicate an anomalously large Peltier effect cooling figure of merit at low temperatures associated with a large thermopower. Resistivity and susceptibility measurements indicate that these compounds possess localized Ce 4f electrons which give rise to the Kondo effect and thermopower enhancement. These results suggest that a survey of Ce intermetallic compounds could lead to new materials for low-temperature thermoelectric cooling applications.