ETHOS – Efficient Thermal energy harvesting at “empty” Oxide interfaces.

Like the yin-yang duality, the counterpart of electrons – holes – likewise possess a measurable quantum physical property known as “spin”. Passing a spin-polarized current through two-dimensional electron gases in certain oxide interfaces has been demonstrated to result in world record values of the so-called spin-charge conversion. Here, I propose to build on this principle by thermally injecting spin-polarized currents into the “empty” counterpart of a two-dimensional electron gas – a two-dimensional hole gas. Such an experimental feat has never been done before and may harbor new physics and spin-related phenomena not yet uncovered! If successful, this concept can likewise have significant impact on the green transition by opening the possibility for carrying out unprecedented efficient thermal energy-charge interconversion in novel device principles.