No Arabic abstract
Spin-dependent transport through a multilevel quantum dot weakly coupled to ferromagnetic leads is analyzed theoretically by means of the real-time diagrammatic technique. Both the sequential and cotunneling processes are taken into account, which makes the results on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and shot noise applicable in the whole range of relevant bias and gate voltages. Suppression of the TMR due to inelastic cotunneling and super-Poissonian shot noise have been found in some of the Coulomb blockade regions. Furthermore, in the Coulomb blockade regime there is an additional contribution to the noise due to bunching of cotunneling processes involving the spin-majority electrons. On the other hand, in the sequential tunneling regime TMR oscillates with the bias voltage, while the current noise is generally sub-Poissonian.
The spin-polarized transport through a coherent strongly coupled double quantum dot (DQD) system is analyzed theoretically in the sequential and cotunneling regimes. Using the real-time diagrammatic technique, we analyze the current, differential conductance, shot noise and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) as a function of both the bias and gate voltages for double quantum dots coupled in series, in parallel as well as for T-shaped systems. For DQDs coupled in series, we find a strong dependence of the TMR on the number of electrons occupying the double dot, and super-Poissonian shot noise in the Coulomb blockade regime. In addition, for asymmetric DQDs, we analyze transport in the Pauli spin blockade regime and explain the existence of the leakage current in terms of cotunneling and spin-flip cotunneling-assisted sequential tunneling. For DQDs coupled in parallel, we show that the transport characteristics in the weak coupling regime are qualitatively similar to those of DQDs coupled in series. On the other hand, in the case of T-shaped quantum dots we predict a large super-Poissonian shot noise and TMR enhanced above the Julliere value due to increased occupation of the decoupled quantum dot. We also discuss the possibility of determining the geometry of the double dot from transport characteristics. Furthermore, where possible, we compare our results with existing experimental data on nonmagnetic systems and find qualitative agreement.
In Coulomb drag, a current flowing in one conductor can induce a voltage across an adjacent conductor via the Coulomb interaction. The mechanisms yielding drag effects are not always understood, even though drag effects are sufficiently general to be seen in many low-dimensional systems. In this Letter, we observe Coulomb drag in a Coulomb-coupled double quantum dot (CC-DQD) and, through both experimental and theoretical arguments, identify cotunneling as essential to obtaining a correct qualitative understanding of the drag behavior.
Quantum dots (QDs) investigated through electron transport measurements often exhibit varying, state-dependent tunnel couplings to the leads. Under specific conditions, weakly coupled states can result in a strong suppression of the electrical current and they are correspondingly called blocking states. Using the combination of conductance and shot noise measurements, we investigate blocking states in carbon nanotube (CNT) QDs. We report negative differential conductance and super-Poissonian noise. The enhanced noise is the signature of electron bunching, which originates from random switches between the strongly and weakly conducting states of the QD. Negative differential conductance appears here when the blocking state is an excited state. In this case, at the threshold voltage where the blocking state becomes populated, the current is reduced. Using a master equation approach, we provide numerical simulations reproducing both the conductance and the shot noise pattern observed in our measurements.
We report the results of an analysis, based on a straightforward quantum-mechanical model, of shot noise suppression in a structure containing cascaded tunneling barriers. Our results exhibit a behavior that is in sharp contrast with existing semiclassical models for this particular type of structure, which predict a limit of 1/3 for the Fano factor as the number of barriers is increased. The origin of this discrepancy is investigated and attributed to the presence of localization on the length scale of the mean free path, as a consequence of the strictly 1-dimensional nature of disorder, which does not create mode mixing, while no localization appears in common semiclassical models. We expect localization to be indeed present in practical situations with prevalent 1-D disorder, and the existing experimental evidence appears to be consistent with such a prediction.
We have observed a negative differential conductance with singular gate and source-drain bias dependences in a phosphorus-doped silicon quantum dot. Its origin is discussed within the framework of weak localization. By measuring the current-voltage characteristics at different temperatures as well as simulating the tunneling rates dependences on energy, we demonstrate that the presence of shallow energy defects together with an enhancement of localization satisfactory explain our observations. Effects observed in magnetic fields are also discussed.