ABSTRACT
A series of samples is not required to derive the parameters needed for an SPB model; indeed, it only takes data for a single sample. However, this modeling is best performed when a series of samples are available, as this allows the accuracy of the model to be tested. It is common for only a sample or two to be available, though, and in these cases the SPB model can suggest avenues to enhance the thermoelectric e²ciency, such as increasing or decreasing the carrier density, and give a prediction for zT in an optimized sample. Alternatively, a model developed for a novel compound may suggest that a large œgure of merit zT is not achievable in the system without the introduction (or possibly the discovery) of irregular features in the transport properties. šus, the SPB model is something of a diagnostic tool for both overall thermoelectric e²ciency and the existence of more complex transport behavior.
