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Phys. Rev. B 74, 205327 (2006) [13 pages]

Semiclassical theory of a quantum pump

Saar Rahav and Piet W. Brouwer
Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Received 17 July 2006; published 21 November 2006

In a quantum charge pump, the periodic variation of two parameters that affect the phase of the electronic wave function causes the flow of a direct current. The operating mechanism of a quantum pump is based on quantum interference, the phases of interfering amplitudes being modulated by the external parameters. In a ballistic quantum dot, there is a minimum time before which quantum interference cannot occur: the Ehrenfest time tauE. Here we calculate the current pumped through a ballistic quantum dot if tauE is comparable to the mean dwell time tauD. Remarkably, we find that the pumped current has a component that is not suppressed if tauE>>tauD.

©2006 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.74.205327
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.74.205327
PACS: 73.23.-b; 05.45.Mt; 73.50.Pz
  • 73.23.-b
    Electronic transport in mesoscopic systems
  • 05.45.Mt
    Semiclassical methods in quantum chaos
  • 73.50.Pz
    Photoconduction and photovoltaic effects in thin films
  • YEAR: 2006
KEYWORDS: quantum dots, quantum interference phenomena, ballistic transport, wave functions

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