Berlin 2012 – scientific programme
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HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik
HL 84: Quantum Dots and Wires: Transport Properties III (mainly Thermal Gradients)
HL 84.2: Talk
Thursday, March 29, 2012, 15:15–15:30, EW 202
Noise-induced currents in open quantum dots — •Björn Sothmann1, Rafael Sánchez2, Andrew N. Jordan3, and Markus Büttiker1 — 1Département de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève — 2Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas — 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester
Recently, the influence of fluctuations on transport through quantum dots has generated quite some interest. In Ref. [1], it was shown how a double dot in a three-terminal device can convert a heat current into a charge current. This converter is optimal in the sense that it transfers one electron for every heat quantum delivered by the hot dot. However, the currents generated are very small. Of interest is the scaling of this effect as the system size increases.
Here, we consider transport through two open quantum dots coupled to leads via quantum-point contacts with energy-dependent transmissions. We, additionally, take into account fluctuations of the cavity potentials. Using a semiclassical analysis, we calculate the charge current through one cavity as a response to a heat gradient between the reservoirs of the two cavities. We, furthermore, evaluate the heat currents in the system to discuss its thermodynamic efficiency.
[1] R. Sánchez and M. Büttiker, Phys. Rev. B 83, 085428 (2011).