title: Density-functional theory of thermoelectric phenomena.
abstract: We introduce a nonequilibrium density-functional theory of local temperature and associated local energy density that is suited for the study of thermoelectric phenomena. The theory rests on a local temperature field coupled to the energy-density operator. We identify the excess-energy density, in addition to the particle density, as the basic variable, which is reproduced by an effective noninteracting Kohn-Sham system. A novel Kohn-Sham equation emerges featuring a time-dependent and spatially varying mass which represents local temperature variations. The adiabatic contribution to the Kohn-Sham potentials is related to the entropy viewed as a functional of the particle and energy density. Dissipation can be taken into account by employing linear response theory and the thermoelectric transport coefficients of the electron gas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Eich
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Ventra
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vignale