Numerical analysis of the simplest odd-numbered system of coupled quantum dots reveals an interplay between magnetic ordering, charge fluctuations and the tendency of itinerant electrons in the leads to screen magnetic moments. The transition from local-moment to molecular-orbital behavior is visible in the evolution of correlation functions as the inter-dot coupling is increased. Resulting novel Kondo phases are presented in a phase diagram which can be sampled by measuring the zero-bias conductance. We discuss the origin of the even-odd effects by comparing with the double quantum dot.
A dilute concentration of magnetic impurities can dramatically affect the transport properties of an otherwise pure metal. This phenomenon, known as the Kondo effect, originates from the interactions of individual magnetic impurities with the conduction electrons. Nearly a decade ago, the Kondo effect was observed in a new system, in which the magnetic moment stems from a single unpaired spin in a lithographically defined quantum dot, or artificial atom. The discovery of the Kondo effect in artificial atoms spurred a revival in the study of Kondo physics, due in part to the unprecedented control of relevant parameters in these systems. In this review we discuss the physics, origins, and phenomenology of the Kondo effect in the context of recent quantum dot experiments.
We study the influence of the proximity-induced pairing on electronic version of the Dicke effect in a heterostructure, comprising three quantum dots vertically coupled between the metallic and superconducting leads. We discuss a feasible experimental procedure for detecting the narrow/broad (subradiant/superradiant) contributions by means of the subgap Andreev spectroscopy. In the Kondo regime and for small energy level detuning the Dicke effect is manifested in the differential conductance.
We theoretically investigate the Kondo effect of a T-shaped triple-quantum-dot structure, by means of the numerical renormalization group method. It is found that at the point of electron-hole symmetry, the systems entropy has opportunities to exhibit three kinds of transition processes for different interdot couplings, with the decrease of temperature. This leads to the different pictures of the Kondo physics, including the three-stage Kondo effect. Next when the electron-hole symmetry is broken or the structural parameters are changed, the Kondo resonance can also be observed in the conductance spectrum. However, it shows alternative dependence on the relevant quantities, i.e., the Coulomb interaction and interdot couplings. All these phenomena exhibit the abundant and interesting Kondo physics in this system. We believe that this work can be helpful for further understanding the Kondo effect in the triple-quantum-dot structures.
We consider a triple quantum dot system in a triangular geometry with one of the dots connected to metallic leads. Using Wilsons numerical renormalization group method, we investigate quantum entanglement and its relation to the thermodynamic and transport properties, in the regime where each of the dots is singly occupied on average, but with non-negligible charge fluctuations. It is shown that even in the regime of significant charge fluctuations the formation of the Kondo singlets induces switching between separable and perfectly entangled states. The quantum phase transition between unentangled and entangled states is analyzed quantitatively and the corresponding phase diagram is explained by exactly solvable spin model.
The Kondo effect is a key many-body phenomenon in condensed matter physics. It concerns the interaction between a localised spin and free electrons. Discovered in metals containing small amounts of magnetic impurities, it is now a fundamental mechanism in a wide class of correlated electron systems. Control over single, localised spins has become relevant also in fabricated structures due to the rapid developments in nano-electronics. Experiments have already demonstrated artificial realisations of isolated magnetic impurities at metallic surfaces, nanometer-scale magnets, controlled transitions between two-electron singlet and triplet states, and a tunable Kondo effect in semiconductor quantum dots. Here, we report an unexpected Kondo effect realised in a few-electron quantum dot containing singlet and triplet spin states whose energy difference can be tuned with a magnetic field. This effect occurs for an even number of electrons at the degeneracy between singlet and triplet states. The characteristic energy scale is found to be much larger than for the ordinary spin-1/2 case.