Electric potential difference → Light

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.06 × C.01 · Electric potential difference × Thermoelectricfamily: ThermoelectricD.06 × C.07 · Electric potential difference × Thermophotovoltaicfamily: Thermophotovoltaic

Typed bounds on this route

Every limit the atlas holds for this route, as constraint records: reached through bounded_by claims on the route's own entities. Hard bounds (an upper bound or a formula) decide the thermodynamic-bound check above; benchmarks, constitutive relations and resource limits are listed and never decisive. No prose limit exists anywhere (pass 42).

• Carnot limit · formula-bound · hard, filtered out by its applicability
  η ≤ 1 − T_c/T_h for any heat engine between reservoirs at T_h and T_c
• Visible-band fraction of thermal emission · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η_vis ≤ ∫₃₈₀ⁿᵐ⁷⁸⁰ⁿᵐ B_λ(λ, T) dλ / σT⁴ — the share of a thermal emitter's radiated power that Planck's distribution places in the visible band at the emitter temperature

Steps

1. 01
   Electric potential difference —drives→ Peltier effectestablishedclaim record

   electrical → thermal · loss to thermal

   • a current through a junction of dissimilar conductors

   solid · conductor required

   refs [1] [2]
2. 02
   Peltier effect —produces→ Temperature gradientestablishedclaim record

   thermal → thermal

   refs [2]
3. 03
   Temperature gradient —drives→ Thermal emissionestablishedclaim record

   thermal → radiative

   • an emitter hotter than the surface it faces

   refs [3] [4]
4. 04
   Thermal emission —converts into→ Lightestablishedclaim record

   radiative → radiative · loss to radiative

   • incandescence at > 2000 K

   refs [4] [3]

Evidence for the complete composition · 0

No source on record for this exact composition. The sources below support the individual steps, not the route as a whole.

Evidence for the constituent relations · 4

1. [1]
   J. C. A. Peltier. Nouvelles expériences sur la caloricité des courants électriques (1834)

   Annales de Chimie et de Physique 56, 371–386 · paper, no DOI · record
2. [2]
   H. J. Goldsmid. Introduction to Thermoelectricity (2nd ed.) (2016)

   Springer Series in Materials Science 121 · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-49256-7 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
3. [3]
   A. Bejan. Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics (4th ed.) (2016)

   Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119245964 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
4. [4]
   P. T. Landsberg, G. Tonge. Thermodynamic energy conversion efficiencies (1980)

   Journal of Applied Physics 51, R1–R20 · doi:10.1063/1.328187 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record