Thermoelectricity in general is of strong scientific and technological
interest due to its application possibilities ranging from clean energy to photon
sensing devices. Recent developments in theoretical studies on t he
thermoelectric effects, as well as the newly discovered thermoelectric materials
provide new opportunities for wide applications. One type of these materials is
based on the strongly correlated electron systems; typical examples are the
transition metal oxides, which were not regarded as very promising for
thermoelectric applications. In this paper, we discuss some recent progress in
this field, and special emphasize is on the new application of thin films grown
on vicinal cut substrates. The thermoelectric effect is based on the anisotropic
Seebeck components in crystals. Upon radiation of heat and/or light on the film
surface, there will be an induced voltage, hence device which can detect the
heat and/or light radiation can be made. We'll show that this type of detector
demonstrates novel properties: broad optical response, very fast time response
and at the same time it does not need any bias, therefore it is extremely energy
saving. The performance of three typical compounds YBa2Cu3O7, LaCaMnO3
and LaSrCoO3 are presented.