Numerical renormalization group approach to a quartet quantum-dot array connected to reservoirs:gate-voltage dependence of the conductance

The ground-state properties of quartet quantum-dot arrays are studied using the numerical renormalization group (NRG) method with a four-site Hubbard model connected to two non-interacting leads. Specifically, we calculate the conductance and local charge in the dots from the many-body phase shifts, which can be deduced from the fixed-point eigenvalues of NRG. As a function of the on-site energy $\epsilon_d$ which corresponds to the gate voltage, the conductance shows alternatively wide peak and valley. Simultaneously, the total number of electrons $N_{\rm el}$ in the four dots shows a quantized stair case behavior due to a large Coulomb interaction $U$. The conductance plateaus of the Unitary limit emerging for odd $N_{\rm el}$ are caused by the Kondo effect. The valleys of the conductance emerge for even $N_{\rm el}$, and their width becomes substantially large at half-filling. It can be regarded as a kind of the Mott-Hubbard insulating behavior manifesting in a small system. These structures of the plateaus and valleys become weak for large values of the hybridization strength $\Gamma$ between the chain and leads. We also discuss the parallel conductance for the array connected to four leads.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Kondo Effect and Josephson Current through a Quantum Dot between Two Superconductors

We investigate the supercurrent through a quantum dot for the whole range of couplings using the numerical renormalization group method. We find that the Josephson current switches abruptly from a $\pi$- to a 0-phase as the coupling increases. At intermediate couplings the total spin in the ground state depends on the phase difference between the two superconductors. Our numerical results can explain the crossover in the conductance observed experimentally by Buitelaar \textit{et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{89}, 256 801 (2002)].Comment: Fig.2 and corresponding text have been changed; Several other small change

Quantum energy teleportation in a quantum Hall system

We propose an experimental method for a quantum protocol termed quantum energy teleportation (QET), which allows energy transportation to a remote location without physical carriers. Using a quantum Hall system as a realistic model, we discuss the physical significance of QET and estimate the order of energy gain using reasonable experimental parameters

Spectrum and Franck-Condon factors of interacting suspended single-wall carbon nanotubes

A low energy theory of suspended carbon nanotube quantum dots in weak tunnelling coupling with metallic leads is presented. The focus is put on the dependence of the spectrum and the Franck-Condon factors on the geometry of the junction including several vibronic modes. The relative size and the relative position of the dot and its associated vibrons strongly influence the electromechanical properties of the system. A detailed analysis of the complete parameters space reveals different regimes: in the short vibron regime the tunnelling of an electron into the nanotube generates a plasmon-vibron excitation while in the long vibron regime polaron excitations dominate the scenario. The small, position dependent Franck-Condon couplings of the small vibron regime convert into uniform, large couplings in the long vibron regime. Selection rules for the excitations of the different plasmon-vibron modes via electronic tunnelling events are also derived.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, new version according to the published on

Quantum Phase Transition in a Multi-Level Dot

We discuss electronic transport through a lateral quantum dot close to the singlet-triplet degeneracy in the case of a single conduction channel per lead. By applying the Numerical Renormalization Group, we obtain rigorous results for the linear conductance and the density of states. A new quantum phase transition of the Kosterlitz-Thouless type is found, with an exponentially small energy scale $T^*$ close to the degeneracy point. Below $T^*$, the conductance is strongly suppressed, corresponding to a universal dip in the density of states. This explains recent transport measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 5 eps figures, published versio

Detection of topological transitions by transport through molecules and nanodevices

We analyze the phase transitions of an interacting electronic system weakly coupled to free-electron leads by considering its zero-bias conductance. This is expressed in terms of two effective impurity models for the cases with and without spin degeneracy. We demonstrate using the half-filled ionic Hubbard ring that the weight of the first conductance peak as a function of external flux or of the difference in gate voltages between even and odd sites allows one to identify the topological charge transition between a correlated insulator and a band insulator.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Singlet-triplet transition in a lateral quantum dot

We study transport through a lateral quantum dot in the vicinity of the singlet-triplet transition in its ground state. This transition, being sharp in an isolated dot, is broadened to a crossover by the exchange interaction of the dot electrons with the conduction electrons in the leads. For a generic set of system's parameters, the linear conductance has a maximum in the crossover region. At zero temperature and magnetic field, the maximum is the strongest. It becomes less pronounced at finite Zeeman splitting, which leads to an increase of the background conductance and a decrease of the conductance in the maximum

Interference and interaction effects in multi-level quantum dots

Using renormalization group techniques, we study spectral and transport properties of a spinless interacting quantum dot consisting of two levels coupled to metallic reservoirs. For strong Coulomb repulsion $U$ and an applied Aharonov-Bohm phase $\phi$, we find a large direct tunnel splitting $|\Delta|\sim (\Gamma/\pi)|\cos(\phi/2)|\ln(U/\omega_c)$ between the levels of the order of the level broadening $\Gamma$. As a consequence we discover a many-body resonance in the spectral density that can be measured via the absorption power. Furthermore, for $\phi=\pi$, we show that the system can be tuned into an effective Anderson model with spin-dependent tunneling.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures included, typos correcte

Determination of the phase shifts for interacting electrons connected to reservoirs

We describe a formulation to deduce the phase shifts, which determine the ground-state properties of interacting quantum-dot systems with the inversion symmetry, from the fixed-point eigenvalues of the numerical renormalization group (NRG). Our approach does not assume the specific form of the Hamiltonian nor the electron-hole symmetry, and it is applicable to a wide class of quantum impurities connected to noninteracting leads. We apply the method to a triple dot which is described by a three-site Hubbard chain connected to two noninteracting leads, and calculate the dc conductance away from half-filling. The conductance shows the typical Kondo plateaus of Unitary limit in some regions of the gate voltages, at which the total number of electrons N_el in the three dots is odd, i.e., N_el =1, 3 and 5. In contrast, the conductance shows a wide minimum in the gate voltages corresponding to even number of electrons, N_el = 2 and 4. We also discuss the parallel conductance of the triple dot connected transversely to four leads, and show that it can be deduced from the two phase shifts defined in the two-lead case.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures: Fig. 12 has been added to discuss T_