Spin filters with Fano dots

We compute the zero bias conductance of electrons through a single ballistic channel weakly coupled to a side quantum dot with Coulomb interaction. In contrast to the standard setup which is designed to measure the transport through the dot, the channel conductance reveals Coulomb blockade dips rather then peaks due to the Fano-like backscattering. At zero temperature the Kondo effect leads to the formation of broad valleys of small conductance corresponding to an odd number of electrons on the dot. By applying a magnetic field in the dot region we find two dips corresponding to a total suppression in the conductance of spins up and down separated by an energy of the order of the Coulomb interaction. This provides a possibility of a perfect spin filter.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in European Physical Journal

Quantum phase transitions in the systems of parallel quantum dots

We study the low-temperature transport properties of the systems of parallel quantum dots described by the N-impurity Anderson model. We calculate the quasiparticle scattering phase shifts, spectral functions and correlations as a function of the gate voltage for N up to 5. For any N, the conductance at the particle-hole symmetric point is unitary. For N >= 2, a transition from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic impurity spin correlations occurs at some gate voltage. For N >= 3, there is an additional transition due to an abrupt change in average impurity occupancy. For odd N, the conductance is discontinuous through both quantum phase transitions, while for even N only the magnetic transition affects the conductance. Similar effects should be experimentally observable in the systems of quantum dots with ferromagnetic conduction-band-mediated inter-dot exchange interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Anderson impurity in the one-dimensional Hubbard model on finite size systems

An Anderson impurity in a Hubbard model on chains with finite length is studied using the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) technique. In the first place, we analyzed how the reduction of electron density from half-filling to quarter-filling affects the Kondo resonance in the limit of Hubbard repulsion U=0. In general, a weak dependence with the electron density was found for the local density of states (LDOS) at the impurity except when the impurity, at half-filling, is close to a mixed valence regime. Next, in the central part of this paper, we studied the effects of finite Hubbard interaction on the chain at quarter-filling. Our main result is that this interaction drives the impurity into a more defined Kondo regime although accompanied in most cases by a reduction of the spectral weight of the impurity LDOS. Again, for the impurity in the mixed valence regime, we observed an interesting nonmonotonic behavior. We also concluded that the conductance, computed for a small finite bias applied to the leads, follows the behavior of the impurity LDOS, as in the case of non-interacting chains. Finally, we analyzed how the Hubbard interaction and the finite chain length affect the spin compensation cloud both at zero and at finite temperature, in this case using quantum Monte Carlo techniques.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, final version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Conductance through an array of quantum dots

We propose a simple approach to study the conductance through an array of $N$ interacting quantum dots, weakly coupled to metallic leads. Using a mapping to an effective site which describes the low-lying excitations and a slave-boson representation in the saddle-point approximation, we calculated the conductance through the system. Explicit results are presented for N=1 and N=3: a linear array and an isosceles triangle. For N=1 in the Kondo limit, the results are in very good agreement with previous results obtained with numerical renormalization group (NRG). In the case of the linear trimer for odd $N$, when the parameters are such that electron-hole symmetry is induced, we obtain perfect conductance $G_0=2e^2/h$. The validity of the approach is discussed in detail.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev.

Quantum dot with ferromagnetic leads: a density-matrix renormalization group study

A quantum dot coupled to ferromagnetically polarized one-dimensional leads is studied numerically using the density matrix renormalization group method. Several real space properties and the local density of states at the dot are computed. It is shown that this local density of states is suppressed by the parallel polarization of the leads. In this case we are able to estimate the length of the Kondo cloud, and to relate its behavior to that suppression. Another important result of our study is that the tunnel magnetoresistance as a function of the quantum dot on-site energy is minimum and negative at the symmetric point.Comment: 4 pages including 5 figures. To be published as a Brief Report in Phys. Rev.

Nonlinear Fano resonance and bistable wave transmission

We consider a discrete model that describes a linear chain of particles coupled to a single-site defect with instantaneous Kerr nonlinearity. We show that this model can be regarded as a nonlinear generalization of the familiar Fano-Anderson model, and it can generate the amplitude depended bistable resonant transmission or reflection. We identify these effects as the nonlinear Fano resonance, and study its properties for continuous waves and pulses.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Engineering Fano resonances in discrete networks

We study transmission properties of discrete networks composed of linear arrays coupled to systems of N side defects, and demonstrate the basic principles of the resonant scattering management through engineering Fano resonances. We find exact solutions for the wave transmission coefficient and reveal the conditions for the perfect reflections and transmissions due to either destructive or constructive interferences. We associate these reflections and transmissions with Fano resonances, and demonstrate how they can be tuned by introducing nonlinear defects into the network.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Fine structure of the local pseudogap and Fano effect for superconducting electrons near a zigzag graphene edge

Motivated by recent scanning tunneling experiments on zigzag-terminated graphene this paper investigates an interplay of evanescent and extended quasiparticle states in the local density of states (LDOS) near a zigzag edge using the Green's function of the Dirac equation. A model system is considered where the local electronic structure near the edge influences transport of both normal and superconducting electrons via a Fano resonance. In particular, the temperature enhancement of the critical Josephson current and 0-pi transitions are predicted.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.