Strain-induced enhancement of the thermoelectric power in thin films of hole-doped La2NiO4+δ

We propose a novel route for optimizing the thermoelectric power of a polaronic conductor, independent of its electronic conductivity. This mechanism is exemplified here in thin-films of La2NiO4+δ. Tensile stress induced by epitaxial growth on SrTiO3 doubles the thermoelectric power of ≈15 nm thick films relative to ≈90 nm films, while the electronic conductivity remains practically unchanged. Epitaxial strain influences the statistical contribution to the high temperature thermopower, but introduces a smaller correction to the electronic conductivity. This mechanism provides a new way for optimizing the high temperature thermoelectric performance of polaronic conductors.