An Electronic Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

Double-slit electron interferometers, fabricated in high mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), proved to be very powerful tools in studying coherent wave-like phenomena in mesoscopic systems. However, they suffer from small fringe visibility due to the many channels in each slit and poor sensitivity to small currents due to their open geometry. Moreover, the interferometers do not function in a high magnetic field, namely, in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) regime, since it destroys the symmetry between left and right slits. Here, we report on the fabrication and operation of a novel, single channel, two-path electron interferometer that functions in a high magnetic field. It is the first electronic analog of the well-known optical Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer. Based on single edge state and closed geometry transport in the QHE regime the interferometer is highly sensitive and exhibits very high visibility (62%). However, the interference pattern decays precipitously with increasing electron temperature or energy. While we do not understand the reason for the dephasing we show, via shot noise measurement, that it is not a decoherence process that results from inelastic scattering events.Comment: to appear in Natur

Aharonov-Bohm interferometry with quantum dots: scattering approach versus tunneling picture

We address the question of how to model electron transport through closed Aharonov-Bohm interferometers which contain quantum dots. By explicitly studying interferometers with one and two quantum dots, we establish the connection between a tunneling-Hamiltonian formulation on the one hand and a scattering-matrix approach on the other hand. We prove that, under certain circumstances, both approaches are equivalent, i.e., both types of models can describe the same experimental setups. Furthermore, we analyze how the interplay of the Aharonov-Bohm phase and the orbital phase associated with the lengths of the interferometers' arms affect transport properties.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, published versio

Spin Fluctuation Induced Dephasing in a Mesoscopic Ring

We investigate the persistent current in a hybrid Aharonov-Bohm ring - quantum dot system coupled to a reservoir which provides spin fluctuations. It is shown that the spin exchange interaction between the quantum dot and the reservoir induces dephasing in the absence of direct charge transfer. We demonstrate an anomalous nature of this spin-fluctuation induced dephasing which tends to enhance the persistent current. We explain our result in terms of the separation of the spin from the charge degree of freedom. The nature of the spin fluctuation induced dephasing is analyzed in detail.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Transmission Phase of a Quantum Dot with Kondo Correlation Near the Unitary Limit

The complex transmission amplitude -- both magnitude and phase -- of a quantum dot (QD) with Kondo correlation was measured near the unitary limit. Contrary to previous phase measurements, performed far from this limit [Ji et al., Science 290, 779 (2000)], the transmission phase was observed to evolve linearly over a range of about 1.5 pi when the Fermi energy was scanned through a Kondo pair -- a pair of spin degenerate energy levels. Moreover, the phase in Coulomb blockade (CB) peak, adjancent to the Kondo pair, retained a memory of the Kondo correlation and did not exhibit the familiar behavior in the CB regime. These results do not agree with theoretical predictions, suggesting that a full explanation may go beyond the framework of the Anderson model.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Fano effect of a strongly interacting quantum dot in contact with superconductor

The physics of a system consisting of an Aharonov Bohm (AB) interferometer containing a single level interacting quantum dot (QD) on one of its arms, and attached to normal (N) and superconducting (S) leads is studied and elucidated. Here the focus is directed mainly on N-AB-S junctions but the theory is capable of studying S-AB-S junctions as well. The interesting physics comes into play under the conditions that both the Kondo effect in the QD and the the Fano effect are equally important.It is found the conductance of the junction is suppressed as the Fano effect becomes more dominant.Comment: 4 pages, Talk to be given at the NATO Conference MQO, Bled, Slovenia 7-10 September 200

Aharonov-Bohm Interferometry with Interacting Quantum Dots: Spin Configurations, Asymmetric Interference Patterns, Bias-Voltage-Induced Aharonov-Bohm Oscillations, and Symmetries of Transport Coefficients

We study electron transport through multiply-connected mesoscopic geometries containing interacting quantum dots. Our formulation covers both equilibrium and non-equilibrium physics. We discuss the relation of coherent transport channels through the quantum dot to flux-sensitive Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the total conductance of the device. Contributions to transport in first and second order in the intrinsic line width of the dot levels are addressed in detail. We predict an interaction-induced asymmetry in the amplitude of the interference signal around resonance peaks as a consequence of incoherence associated with spin-flip processes. This asymmetry can be used to probe the total spin of the quantum dot. Such a probe requires less stringent experimental conditions than the Kondo effect, which provides the same information. We show 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. We predict bias-voltage induced Aharonov-Bohm oscillations of physical quantities which are independent of flux in the linear-response regime. Going beyond the Onsager relations we analyze the relations between the space symmetry group of the setup and the flux-dependent non-linear conductance.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figure

Phase-Induced (In)-Stability in Coupled Parametric Oscillators

We report results on a model of two coupled oscillators that undergo periodic parametric modulations with a phase difference $\theta$. Being to a large extent analytically solvable, the model reveals a rich $\theta$ dependence of the regions of parametric resonance. In particular, the intuitive notion that anti-phase modulations are less prone to parametric resonance is confirmed for sufficiently large coupling and damping. We also compare our results to a recently reported mean field model of collective parametric instability, showing that the two-oscillator model can capture much of the qualitative behavior of the infinite system.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures; a version with better quality figures can be found in http://hypatia.ucsd.edu/~mauro/English/publications.htm

Non-equilibrium Kondo effect in asymmetrically coupled quantum dot

The quantum dot asymmetrically coupled to the external leads has been analysed theoretically by means of the equation of motion (EOM) technique and the non-crossing approximation (NCA). The system has been described by the single impurity Anderson model. To calculate the conductance across the device the non-equilibrium Green's function technique has been used. The obtained results show the importance of the asymmetry of the coupling for the appearance of the Kondo peak at nonzero voltages and qualitatively explain recent experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, Physical Review B (accepted for publication

Kondo Correlations and the Fano Effect in Closed AB-Interferometers

We study the Fano-Kondo effect in a closed Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer which contains a single-level quantum dot and predict a frequency doubling of the AB oscillations as a signature of Kondo-correlated states. Using Keldysh formalism, Friedel sum rule and Numerical Renormalization Group, we calculate the exact zero-temperature linear conductance $G$ as a function of AB phase $\phi$ and level position $\epsilon$. In the unitary limit, $G(\phi)$ reaches its maximum $2e^2/h$ at $\phi=\pi/2$. We find a Fano-suppressed Kondo plateau for $G(\epsilon)$ similar to recent experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figure

Kondo Effect of Quantum Dots in the Quantum Hall Regime

Quantum dots in the quantum Hall regime can have pairs of single Slater determinant states that are degenerate in energy. We argue that these pairs of many body states may give rise to a Kondo effect which can be mapped into an ordinary Kondo effect in a fictitious magnetic field. We report on several properties of this Kondo effect using scaling and numerical renormalization group analysis. We suggest an experiment to investigate this Kondo effect.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B (5 pages, 4 figures); references added; several changes in tex