Thermal-electric conversion is crucial for smart energy control andharvesting, such as thermal sensing and waste heat recovering. So far, peopleare aware of only two ways of direct thermal-electric conversion, Seebeck andpyroelectric effects, each with distinct working conditions and limitations.Here, we report the third way of thermal-electric conversion beyond Seebeck andpyroelectric effects. In contrast to Seebeck effect that requires spatialtemperature difference, the-third-way converts the time-dependent ambienttemperature fluctuation into electricity, similar to the behavior ofpyroelectricity. However, the-third-way is also distinct from pyroelectriceffect in the sense that it does not require polar materials but applies togeneral conducting systems. We demonstrate that the-third-way results from thetemperature-fluctuation-induced dynamical charge redistribution. It is aconsequence of the fundamental nonequilibrium thermodynamics and has a deepconnection to the topological phase in quantum mechanics. The findings expandour knowledge and provide new means of thermal-electric energy harvesting.
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