Thermoelectric properties of semiconductor quantum wires

Experimental investigation of thermoelectric properties of Bi wires with a diameter of about 5 nm has been carried out. Chrysotile asbestos (a natural mineral) was used for a sample preparation. Its nano-sized channels were filled under pressure with melted bismuth. The measurements have shown that temperature dependences of the electrical resistance and thermopower and current-voltage characteristics of produced Bi wires differ considerably from corresponding dependences for InSb wires of the same diameter and for thicker Bi wires. The obtained results can be described by Luttinger liquid theory taking into account the electron-electron interaction in one-dimensional conductors.