Thermoelectricity is traditionally considered impossible in superconductors due to particle–hole (PH) symmetry and the presence of Cooper pairs. However, superconducting systems driven far from equilibrium, that is in non-linear response regime, show a rich phenomenology in charge and energy transport.

In this talk, I will discuss how non-linearity enables thermoelectricity in hybrid systems employing superconductors and other PH symmetric materials [1]. In fully superconducting systems, spontaneous PH symmetry breaking leads to sizeable thermoelectric responses in the presence of large temperature biases [2,3], thus reverting common belief. These ideas extend beyond superconductivity, finding realization in superconductor/graphene devices, where the absence of strict PH symmetry and the weak electron-phonon coupling enable pronounced out-of-equilibrium electron effects [4,5].

Conceptually, non-linearity is the key ingredient that allows energy and charge to be manipulated efficiently, thus promoting non-linear thermoelectricity emerges as a cornerstone of modern quantum thermodynamics [1]. Technologically, non-linearity enables a new generation of devices: cryogenic heat engines operating at the nanoscale [2], ultrasensitive radiation sensors [6,7], and cold-electron detectors [8].

References

[1] Phys. Rev. B 112, 184509 (2025).

[2] Nat. Nanotech 17, 1084 (2022).

[3] Phys. Rev. Appl. 19, 014074 (2023).

[4] J. Appl. Phys. 136, 154901 (2024).

[5] Adv. Funct. Mater. 35, 2418456 (2025).

[6] Appl. Phys. Lett. 122, 173503 (2023).

[7] arXiv:2512.14493 (2026).

[8] Phys. Rev. Appl. 13, 054006 (2020).