Thermal study of PN thermoelectric couple by laser induced Seebeck EMF measurement

We propose in this paper an in-depth study of a method, both experimental and theoretical, for the determination of thermoelectric properties, in single, or multi-layered thermoelectric devices. We use a modulated laser beam as a heater in order to generate a thermally induced Seebeck EMF. The laser beam, line shaped, can be focused at any location along the sample surface, allowing spatially resolved measurements. Seebeck EMF measurements, associated with a versatile modeling method based on the thermal quadrupoles, allow determining sample Seebeck EMF profile. We contemplate to apply this technique to thermal and thermoelectric properties identification.