Modeling the thermopower of ballistic graphene ribbons

Abstract We investigate the thermopower of ballistic graphene ribbons using linear response theory and the Landauer formalism. The dependence of thermopower on temperature and chemical potential is investigated and the obtained results are qualitatively in agreement with many features recently observed in thermoelectric measurements on high mobility graphene ribbons. Fabry–Perot oscillations in the thermopower of short nannoribbons as a function of chemical potential, at finite temperatures, are revealed. The validity of generalized Mott's relation between thermopower and temperature dependent conductivity, is investigated in a wide range of temperatures.