In the Somme region of France in the early 19th century, a watchmaker named Jean-Charles Peltier (commonly known as Peltier) calibrated the markings of countless moments in time with precision gears. However, when he put down his file and vernier calipers at the age of 30 and picked up a prism and a galvanometer instead, the intersection of his life’s path and the history of science was born—this former craftsman would be engraved on the milestone of thermoelectric physics, known as the discoverer of the "Peltier Effect".

Parlett's transformation was not accidental. His career as a watchmaker endowed him with the keenness and patience to observe the microscopic world, and his obsession with natural phenomena was like an undercurrent that surged. From recording the subtle fluctuations of electrical charges in the sky to measuring the abnormal data of polar boiling points; from studying the vortex structure of tornadoes to capturing the blue code of the sky with polarized light, his papers were like a notebook of a naturalist, covering the peripheries of physics, meteorology and optics. This cross-disciplinary exploration spirit bore fruit in 1834: When he passed an electric current through the contact point between copper wire and bismuth wire, the unexpected phenomenon of heat absorption revealed a new law of thermoelectric conversion - the Parlett effect, laying the groundwork for later semiconductor cooling technology.

His story proves that science never rejects an awakened soul. When the precision of a watchmaker meets the curiosity of a naturalist, the spark is enough to illuminate the dark corners of human cognition. However, due to the limited application effects of early metal materials, industrial application was not realized until the development of semiconductor technology in the 20th century.

The story is over, let’s highlight the key points.

Q: What is the Peltier Effect?A: When an electric current passes through a circuit composed of two different conductors or semiconductors, an endothermic or exothermic phenomenon occurs at the contact points of the two materials depending on the direction of the current. It is an electrothermal conversion process and the inverse of the Seebeck Effect.

Q: What are the application scenarios of the Peltier Effect?A: The main application scenarios include optical modules, data centers, medical equipment, vehicle-mounted devices, and consumer-related products (such as mobile phone cooling clips and hair removal devices).