Transmission phase of a quantum dot: Testing the role of population switching

We propose a controlled experiment to clarify the physical mechanism causing phase lapses of the amplitude for electron transmission through nanoscale devices. Such lapses are generically observed in valleys between adjacent Coulomb--blockade peaks. The experiment involves two quantum dots embedded in the same arm of an Aharonov--Bohm interferometer. It offers a decisive test of "population switching", one of the leading contenders for an explanation of the phenomenon.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Weak measurement of cotunneling time

Quantum mechanics allows the existence of "virtual states" that have no classical analogue. Such virtual states defy direct observation through strong measurement, which would destroy the volatile virtual state. Here we show how a virtual state of an interacting many-body system can be detected employing a weak measurement protocol with postselection. We employ this protocol for the measurement of the time it takes an electron to tunnel through a virtual state of a quantum dot (cotunneling). Contrary to classical intuition, this cotunneling time is independent of the strength of the dot-lead coupling and may deviate from that predicted by time-energy uncertainty relation. Our approach, amenable to experimental verification, may elucidate an important facet of quantum mechanics which hitherto was not accessible by direct measurements.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Coherence and Partial Coherence in Interacting Electron Systems

We study coherence of electron transport through interacting quantum dots and discuss the relation of the coherent part to the flux-sensitive conductance for three different types of Aharonov-Bohm interferometers. Contributions to transport in first and second order in the intrinsic line width of the dot levels are addressed in detail. We predict an asymmetry of the interference signal around resonance peaks as a consequence of incoherence associated with spin-flip processes. Furthermore, we show by strict calculation that first-order contributions can be partially or even fully coherent. This contrasts with the sequential-tunneling picture which describes first-order transport as a sequence of incoherent tunneling processes

Restoration of Isotropy for Spin Models

Using real-space renormalisation techniques we analyse the Ising model on a Sierpi\'nski gasket with anisotropic microscopic couplings, and observe a restoration of isotropy on macroscopic scales. In particular, via use of a decimation procedure directly on the fractal lattice, we calculate explicitly the exponential anisotropy decay coefficients near the isotropic regime for both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems. The results suggest the universality of the phenomenon in lattice field theories on fractals.Comment: 10 pages, RevTeX, 4 postscript figures, to appear in Phys. Lett.

The Effect of Interaction on Shot Noise in The Quantum Limit

We employ a non-linear sigma model defined on a Keldysh contour to study the current and the current noise in a diffusive micro-bridge in the presence of electron-electron interactions. Out of equilibrium the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) does not apply, hence these two quantities are not simply interrelated. For a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) we obtain logarithmic singularities in the low frequency limit. PACS Nos. 71.10.Ay, 71.23.An, 73.50.TdComment: Submitted to the proceedings of 36 Renconters de Moriond "Electronic correlations: from meso- to nano-physics". One figure adde