Thermovoltaic effect in samarium sulfide-based heterostructures

The thermovoltaic effect in samarium sulfide-based bulk heterostructures with compositions Sm$_{1-x}$Eu$_x$S and Sm$_{1-x}$Gd$_x$S is considered in the temperature interval 300–460 K. It is shown that this effect can be observed when an external temperature gradient is absent, i.e., when the sample temperatures near the contacts from which a generated voltage is tapped off are the same. The temperature is measured with thermocouples and also by a contactless method using a thermal imager.