Nonequilibrium transport through a spinful quantum dot with superconducting leads

We study the nonlinear cotunneling current through a spinful quantum dot contacted by two superconducting leads. Applying a general nonequilibrium Green function formalism to an effective Kondo model, we study the rich variation in the IV characteristics with varying asymmetry in the tunnel coupling to source and drain electrodes. The current is found to be carried, respectively, by multiple Andreev reflections in the symmetric limit, and by spin-induced Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bound states in the strongly asymmetric limit. The interplay between these two mechanisms leads to qualitatively different IV characteristics in the crossover regime of intermediate symmetry, consistent with recent experimental observations of negative differential conductance and repositioned conductance peaks in subgap cotunneling spectroscopy.     

Mesoscopic spin-flip transport through a quantum dot system responded by ac magnetic fields

We investigate mesoscopic spin transport through a quantum dot (QD) responded by a rotating and an oscillating magnetic fields. The rotating magnetic field rotates with the angular frequency 0 around the z-axis with the tilt angle , while the time-oscillating magnetic field is located in the z-axis with the angular frequency . The spin flip is caused by the rotating magnetic field, and it is the major source of spin current. The Zeeman effect is contributed by the two field components, and it is important as the magnetic fields are strong. The oscillating magnetic field takes significant role due to the spin-photon pumping effect, and the spin current can be generated by it even as 00 for the tilt angle 0. The peak and valley structure appears with respect to the frequency of oscillating field. The generation of spin current is companying with charge current. Spin current displays quite different appearance between the cases in the absence of source-drain bias (eV=0) and in the presence of source-drain bias (eV0). The symmetric spin current disappears to form asymmetric spin current with a negative valley and a positive plateau. The charge current is mainly determined by the source-drain bias, photon absorption, and spin-flip effect. This system can be employed as an ac charge-spin current generator, or ac charge-spin field effect transistor.     

Nonequilibrium spin transport through a diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum dot system with noncollinear magnetization

The spin-dependent transport through a diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum dot (QD) which is coupled via magnetic tunnel junctions to two ferromagnetic leads is studied theoretically. A noncollinear system is considered, where the QD is magnetized at an arbitrary angle with respect to the leads’ magnetization. The tunneling current is calculated in the coherent regime via the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism, incorporating the electron–electron interaction in the QD. We provide the first analytical solution for the Green’s function of the noncollinear DMS quantum dot system, solved via the equation of motion method under Hartree–Fock approximation. The transport characteristics (charge and spin currents, and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR)) are evaluated for different voltage regimes. The interplay between spin-dependent tunneling and single-charge effects results in three distinct voltage regimes in the spin and charge current characteristics. The voltage range in which the QD is singly occupied corresponds to the maximum spin current and greatest sensitivity of the spin current to the QD magnetization orientation. The QD device also shows transport features suitable for sensor applications, i.e., a large charge current coupled with a high TMR ratio.     

量子点环的电子输运研究

利用非平衡格林函数方法，研究了量子点环的相干输运性质. 结果表明：与一维量子点阵列 相比，量子点环中的电子出现更多新的准束缚能级. 量子点间耦合的增强会使微分电导振荡 出现退相干现象. 关键词： 量子点 电导     

Zeeman energy and spin relaxation in a one-electron quantum dot

We have measured the relaxation time, T1, of the spin of a single electron confined in a semiconductor quantum dot (a proposed quantum bit). In a magnetic field, applied parallel to the two-dimensional electron gas in which the quantum dot is defined, Zeeman splitting of the orbital states is directly observed by measurements of electron transport through the dot. By applying short voltage pulses, we can populate the excited spin state with one electron and monitor relaxation of the spin. We find a lower bound on T1 of 50 micros at 7.5 T, only limited by our signal-to-noise ratio. A continuous measurement of the charge on the dot has no observable effect on the spin relaxation.     

Frequency-dependent transport through a quantum dot in the Kondo regime

We study the ac conductance and equilibrium current fluctuations of a Coulomb-blockaded quantum dot in the Kondo regime. To this end we have developed an extension of the numerical renormalization group suitable for the nonperturbative calculation of finite-frequency transport properties. We demonstrate that ac transport gives access to the many-body resonance in the equilibrium spectral density. It provides a new route for measuring this key signature of Kondo physics, which so far has defied direct experimental observation.     

Nonequilibrium Kondo effect and Andreev reflection through double quantum dots with spin-flip scattering

The Kondo effect and the Andreev reflection tunneling through a normal (ferromagnet)-double quantum dots-superconductor hybrid system is examined in the low temperature by using the nonequilibrium Green's function technique in combination with the slave-boson mean-field theory. The interplay of the Kondo physics and the Andreev bound state physics can be controlled by varying the interdot hopping strength. The Andreev differential conductance is mainly determined by the competition between Kondo states and Andreev states. The spin-polarization of the ferromagnetic electrode increases the zero-bias Kondo peak. The spin-flip scattering influences the Kondo effect and the Andreev reflection in a nontrivial way. For the ferromagnetic electrode with sufficiently large spin polarization, the negative Andreev differential conductance is found when the spin flip strength in the double quantum dots is sufficiently strong.     

Thermoelectric transport properties through a T-shaped single quantum dot

We study the thermopower, thermal conductance, electric conductance and the thermoelectric figure of merit for a gate-defined T-shaped single quantum dot (QD). The QD is solved in the limit of strong Coulombian repulsion U→∞, inside the dot, and the quantum wire is modeled on a tight-binding linear chain. We employ the X-boson approach for the Anderson impurity model to describe the localized level within the quantum dot. Our results are in qualitative agreement with recent experimental reports and other theoretical researches for the case of a quantum dot embedded into a conduction channel, employing analogies between the two systems. The results for the thermopower sign as a function of the gate voltage (associated with the quantum dot energy) are in agreement with a recent experimental result obtained for a suspended quantum dot. The thermoelectric figure of merit times temperature results indicates that, at low temperatures and in the crossover between the intermediate valence and Kondo regimes, the system might have practical applicability in the development of thermoelectric devices.     

Photon-assisted transport through a quantum dot coupled to superconductors

Photon-assisted electron transport for resonant tunneling has been investigated by using a current formula developed based on the nonequilibrium Green’s function technique. We have studied the external frequency dependence as well as the energy level position dependence for the resonant ac tunneling through the quantum dot coupled to two superconducting reservoirs.     

Spin-flip transport through an interacting quantum dot

The spin-flip associated transport based on the Anderson model is studied. It is found that the electrons are scattered due to spin-flip effect via the normal, mixed and Kondo channels. The spin-flip scattering via Kondo channel enhances the Kondo resonance peak and causes a slight blue shift. The conductance is suppressed by the spin-flip scattering. This is attributed to the reason that electrons with energy near Fermi level are scattered by Kondo channel.     

Entanglement and transport through correlated quantum dot

We study quantum entanglement in a single-level quantum dot in the linear-response regime. The results show, that the maximal quantum value of the conductance 2e²/h not always match the maximal entanglement. The pairwise entanglement between the quantum dot and the nearest atom of the lead is also analyzed by utilizing the Wootters formula for charge and spin degrees of freedom separately. The coexistence of zero concurrence and the maximal conductance is observed for low values of the dot-lead hybridization. Moreover, the pairwise concurrence vanish simultaneously for charge and spin degrees of freedom, when the Kondo resonance is present in the system. The values of a Kondo temperature, corresponding to the zero-concurrence boundary, are also provided.     

Nonequilibrium spin-polarized transport through two parallel-coupled quantum dots

Spin-polarized transport through an Aharonov–Bohm ring containing two quantum dots (QDs) in each of its arms is studied by using the nonequilibrium Green’s function technique. We take both the Rashba spin-orbit interaction that exists in one of the QDs, and an inhomogeneous magnetic flux penetrating through the ring, into consideration. It is found that a 100% spin-polarized current can be driven out of the QDs ring, and both the spin directions and the magnitude of the outgoing current can be controlled. The origin of the pure spin-up or spin-down current is interpreted in terms of the spin accumulation in the QDs. This device is realizable by presently available technologies and can be used as a spin filter.     

Nonequilibrium Zeeman splitting in quantum transport through nanoscale junctions

We calculate the differential conductance G(V) through a quantum dot in an applied magnetic field. We use a Keldysh conserving approximation for weakly correlated and the scattering-states numerical renormalization group for the intermediate and strongly correlated regime out of equilibrium. In the weakly correlated regime, the Zeeman splitting observable in G(V) strongly depends on the asymmetry of the device. In contrast, in the strongly correlated regime the position Δ(K) of the Zeeman-split zero-bias anomaly is almost independent of such asymmetries and of the order of the Zeeman energy Δ(0). We find a crossover from the purely spin-fluctuation driven Kondo regime at small magnetic fields with Δ(K)<Δ(0) to a regime at large fields where the contribution of charge fluctuations induces larger splittings with Δ(K)>Δ(0) as it was observed in recent experiments.     

Inelastic transport through double quantum dot systems

Inelastic transport through double quantum dot systems with coupling between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom is examined by means of a master equation approach. The current and the conductance are analyzed for both weak and strong interdot couplings. The results show that an asymmetry in the current-voltage characteristic and appearance of negative differential conductance due to electron-phonon interaction. The influence of temperature on the current is studied and found that increasing temperature gives rise to eliminating the current blockade and, thus, removing the Coulomb diamonds in the conductance spectra.     

Thermoelectric transport through a quantum dot with a magnetic impurity

We study the thermoelectric effect in a small quantum dot with a magnetic impurity in the Coulomb blockade regime.The electrical conductance,thermal conductance,thermopower,and the thermoelectrical figure of merit(FOM)are calculated by using Green’s function method.It is found that the peaks in the electrical conductance are split by the exchange coupling between the electron entering into the dot and the magnetic impurity inside the dot,accompanied by the decrease in the height of peaks.As a result,the resonances in the thermoelectric quantities,such as the thermal conductance,thermopower,and the FOM,are all split,opening some effective new working regions.Despite of the significant reduction in the height of the electrical conductance peaks induced by the exchange coupling,the values of the FOM and the thermopower can be as large as those in the case of zero exchange coupling.We also find that the thermoelectric efficiency,characterized by the magnitude of the FOM,can be enhanced by adjusting the left–right asymmetry of the electrode–dot coupling or by optimizing the system’s temperature.     

Time-dependent transport through a quantum dot: influence of the Coulomb interaction on the quantum dot charge states

We consider the electron transport through one-level quantum dot, out of the Kondo regime, under the influence of the external microwave fields. The influence of the intra-dot Coulomb electron-electron interaction is studied using the equation of motion method for appropriate correlation functions. The formula for the current and the closed set of the integro-differential equations for the expectation values of the quantum dot charge states are given. The most characteristic feature of these time-averaged expectation values is an appearance of the additional structure (sidebands) on the curves of the derivatives of the expectation values with respect to the gate voltage. The sidebands structure formed on both sides of the ‘ionization’ and ‘affinity’ quantum dot levels are also found on the current and differential conductance curves.     

Andreev reflection current through a molecule quantum dot in the presence of the electron-phonon interaction and the spin-flip scattering

With the aid of the nonequilibrium Green's function and the Lang-Firsov canonical transformation, we investigate the joint effects of a phononic environment and the spin-flip scattering on the Andreev reflection (AR) in a ferromagnet/single-molecular quantum dot/superconductor (FM/MQD/SC) system. In the presence of the strong electron-phonon interaction (EPI), it is found that the EPI strongly suppresses the AR current (called the Franck-Condon blockade). When the coherent spin-flip (similar to a transverse magnetic field) is taken into account within the MQD, the AR current is significantly enhanced, furthermore, the spin-polarized AR current or even the pure spin-polarized AR current can be generated. By tuning the system parameters, the amplitude and direction of the AR current can be changed, this provides an efficient mechanism for controlling the AR process.     

Phonon-dependent transport through a serially coupled double quantum dot system

Using Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function formalism and mapping a many-body electron–phonon interaction onto a one body problem, the electron transport through a serially coupled double quantum dot system is analyzed. The influence of the electron–phonon interaction, temperature, detuning, and interdot tunneling on the transmission coefficient and current is studied. Our results show that the electron–phonon interaction results in the appearance of the side peaks in the transmission coefficient, whose height is strongly dependent on the phonon temperature. We have also found that the inequality of the electron–phonon interaction strength in two dots gives rise to an asymmetry in the current–voltage characteristic. In addition, the temperature difference between the phonon and electron subsystems results in the reduction of the saturated current and the destruction of the step-like behavior of the current. It is also observed that the detuning can improve the magnitude of the current by compensating the mismatch of the quantum dots energy levels induced by the electron–phonon interaction.