Strongly correlated fractional quantum Hall line junctions

We have studied a clean finite-length line junction between interacting counterpropagating single-branch fractional quantum Hall edge channels. Exact solutions for low-lying excitations and transport properties are obtained when the two edges belong to quantum Hall systems with different filling factors and interact via the long-range Coulomb interaction. Charging effects due to the coupling to external edge-channel leads are fully taken into account. Conductances and power laws in the current-voltage characteristics of tunneling are strongly affected by interedge correlations.     

Gate-defined graphene quantum point contact in the quantum Hall regime

We investigate transport in a gate-defined graphene quantum point contact in the quantum Hall regime. Edge states confined to the interface of p and n regions in the graphene sheet are controllably brought together from opposite sides of the sample and allowed to mix in this split-gate geometry. Among the expected quantum Hall features, an unexpected additional plateau at 0.5h/e2 is observed. We propose that chaotic mixing of edge channels gives rise to the extra plateau.     

Instabilities in quantum point contact structures

We discuss the appearance of strong nonlinearities including S-type negative differential conductance in theI–Vcharacteristics of quantum point contact (QPC) structures. Time-dependent measurements demonstrate that the highly nonlinear d.c.I–Vfeatures are associated with a temporal average of random telegraph switching (RTS) between different current levels. The RTS is only observed when the voltage across the device is such that the chemical potential on one side of the QPC is aligned with the bottom of a one-dimensional subband in the QPC. As the chemical potential is moved further into the subband, the switching behavior disappears until the next subband minimum is reached.     

Zero-bias anomalies in narrow tunnel junctions in the quantum Hall regime

We report on the study of cleaved-edge-overgrown line junctions with a serendipitously created narrow opening in an otherwise thin, precise line barrier. Two sets of zero-bias anomalies are observed with an enhanced conductance for filling factors ν>1 and a strongly suppressed conductance for ν<1. A transition between the two behaviors is found near ν≈1. The zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) line shapes find explanation in Luttinger liquid models of tunneling between quantum Hall edge states. The ZBA for ν<1 occurs from strong backscattering induced by suppression of quasiparticle tunneling between the edge channels for the n=0 Landau levels. The ZBA for ν>1 arises from weak tunneling of quasiparticles between the n=1 edge channels.     

Single-electron transport through quantum point contact

Here, we employ a numerical approach to investigate the transport and conductance characteristics of a quantum point contact. A quantum point contact is a narrow constriction of a width comparable to the electron wavelength defined in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) by means of split-gate or etching technique. Their properties have been widely investigated in the experiments. In our study, we define a quantum Hall based split-gate quantum point contact with standard gate geometry. Firstly, we obtain the spatial distribution of incompressible strips (current channels) by applying a self consistent Thomas-Fermi method to a realistic heterostructure under quantized Hall conditions. Later, time-dependent Schrödinger equation is solved for electrons injected in the current channels. The transport characteristics and time-evolutions are analyzed in the integer filling factor regime (ν = 1) with the single electron density. The results confirm that the current direction in a realistic quantum point contact can be controllable with the external interventions.     

Quantum point contact conductance in ferromagnetic semiconductor/superconductor junctions

An extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk approach is applied to study how the tunneling conductance in ferromagnetic semiconductor/s-wave superconductor (FS/SC) junction, where the FS region is a quantum wire, is manipulated by the mismatches of the effective mass between the FS and SC, spin polarization in the FS, as well as the strength of potential scattering at the interface. It is demonstrated that in the single-mode case they have different influences on the tunneling spectra.     

Hall effect in nested antiferromagnets near the quantum critical point

We investigate the behavior of the Hall coefficient in the case of antiferromagnetism driven by Fermi-surface nesting, and find that the Hall coefficient should abruptly increase with the onset of magnetism, as recently observed in vanadium doped chromium. This effect is due to the sudden removal of flat portions of the Fermi surface upon magnetic ordering. Within this picture, the Hall coefficient should scale as the square of the residual resistivity divided by the impurity concentration, which is consistent with available data.     

Charge rearrangement and screening in a quantum point contact

Compressibility measurements are performed on a quantum point contact (QPC). Screening due to mobile charges in the QPC is measured quantitatively, using a second point contact. These measurements are performed from pinch-off through the opening of the first few modes in the QPC. While the measured signal closely matches a Thomas-Fermi-Poisson prediction, deviations from the classical behavior are apparent near the openings of the different modes. Density functional calculations attribute the deviations to a combination of a diverging density of states at the opening of each one-dimensional mode and exchange interaction, which is strongest for the first mode.     

Detection of non-Gaussian fluctuations in a quantum point contact

An experimental study of current fluctuations through a tunable transmission barrier, a quantum point contact, is reported. We measure the probability distribution function of transmitted charge with precision sufficient to extract the first three cumulants. To obtain the intrinsic quantities, corresponding to voltage-biased barrier, we employ a procedure that accounts for the response of the external circuit and the amplifier. The third cumulant, obtained with a high precision, is found to agree with the prediction for the statistics of transport in the non-Poissonian regime.     

Shot noise in HTc superconductor quantum point contact system

We study the electrical transport properties of a quantum point contact between a lead and a high Tc superconductor. For this, we use the Hamiltonian approach and non-equilibrium Green functions of the system. The electrical current and the shot noise are calculated with this formalism. We consider d_x²−y²${\mathrm{d}}_{x^2-y^2}$, d_xy${\mathrm{d}}_{\mathit{xy}}$, d_x²−y²+is${\mathrm{d}}_{x^2-y^2}+\mathrm{is}$ and d_xy+is${\mathrm{d}}_{\mathit{xy}}+\mathrm{is}$ symmetries for the pair potential. Also we explore the s₊₋${\mathrm{s}}_{+-}$ and s₊₊${\mathrm{s}}_{++}$ symmetries describing the behavior of the ferropnictides superconductors. We found that for d_xy${\mathrm{d}}_{\mathit{xy}}$ symmetry there is not a zero bias conductance peak and for d+is$\mathrm{d}+\mathrm{is}$ symmetries there is a displacement of the transport properties. From shot noise and current, the Fano factor is calculated and we found that it takes values of effective charge between e and 2e  , this is explained by the diffraction of quasiparticles in the contact. For the s₊₋${\mathrm{s}}_{+-}$ and s₊₊${\mathrm{s}}_{++}$ symmetries the results show that the electrical current and the shot noise depend on the mixing coefficient, furthermore, the effective electric charge can take values between 0 and 2e, in contrast with the results obtained for s wave superconductors.     

量子点接触中有关电导0.7结构的研究

研究了由鞍形势描述的量子点接触中的电子输运性质,利用Hartree-Fock近似与低维纳米器件中Thomas-Fermi近似方法处理了电子-电子之间的相互作用,采用格点格林函数方法计算了零温下体系的电导、电子的自旋积累以及散粒噪声,重现了0.7结构这个反常的实验现象.计算结果加深了我们关于半导体纳米器件中的强关联互作用对自旋输运影响的理解.     

STM中量子点接触的电导计算

采用模式匹配和散射矩阵方法，对扫描隧道显微镜(STM)中量子点接触过程中的电导进行了计算.结果表明由量子点接触形成的纳米结构的电导呈现量子化特征，这种量子化现象随所形成的纳米结构的横向尺寸和锥角的减小而增强.而且在半导体材料中比金属中更易观察到电导量子化现象. 关键词： STM 量子点接触 量子化电导     

Ferromagnetically coupled magnetic impurities in a quantum point contact

We investigate the ground and excited states of interacting electrons in a quantum point contact using an exact diagonalization method. We find that strongly localized states in the point contact appear when a new transverse conductance channel opens and longitudinal resonant level is formed due to momentum mismatch. These localized states form magnetic impurity states which are stable in a finite regime of chemical potential and excitation energy. Interestingly, these magnetic impurities have ferromagnetic coupling, which sheds light on the experimentally observed puzzling coexistence of Kondo correlation and spin filtering in a quantum point contact.     

Anomalous Josephson current in junctions with spin polarizing quantum point contacts

We consider a ballistic Josephson junction with a quantum point contact in a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The point contact acts as a spin filter when embedded in a circuit with normal electrodes. We show that with an in-plane external magnetic field an anomalous supercurrent appears even for zero phase difference between the superconducting electrodes. In addition, the external field induces large critical current asymmetries between the two flow directions, leading to supercurrent rectifying effects.