Thermal dependence of the zero-bias conductance through a nanostructure

We show that the conductance of a quantum wire side-coupled to a quantum dot, with a gate potential favoring the formation of a dot magnetic moment, is a universal function of the temperature. Universality prevails even if the currents through the dot and the wire interfere. We apply this result to the experimental data of Sato et al.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 066801 (2005)].Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. More detailed presentation, and updated references. Final version

Universal zero-bias conductance for the single electron transistor. II: Comparison with numerical results

A numerical renormalization-group survey of the zero-bias electrical conductance through a quantum dot embedded in the conduction path of a nanodevice is reported. The results are examined in the light of a recently derived linear mapping between the temperature-dependent conductance and the universal function describing the conductance for the symmetric Anderson model. A gate potential applied to the conduction electrons is known to change markedly the transport properties of a quantum dot side-coupled to the conduction path; in the embedded geometry here discussed, a similar potential is shown to affect only quantitatively the temperature dependence of the conductance. As expected, in the Kondo regime the numerical results are in excellent agreement with the mapped conductances. In the mixed-valence regime, the mapping describes accurately the low-temperature tail of the conductance. The mapping is shown to provide a unified view of conduction in the single-electron transistor.Comment: Sequel to arXiv:0906.4063. 9 pages with 8 figure

Subtle leakage of a Majorana mode into a quantum dot

We investigate quantum transport through a quantum dot connected to source and drain leads and side-coupled to a topological superconducting nanowire (Kitaev chain) sustaining Majorana end modes. Using a recursive Green's function approach, we determine the local density of states (LDOS) of the system and find that the end Majorana mode of the wire leaks into the dot thus emerging as a unique dot level {\it pinned} to the Fermi energy $\varepsilon_F$ of the leads. Surprisingly, this resonance pinning, resembling in this sense a "Kondo resonance", occurs even when the gate-controlled dot level $\varepsilon_\text{dot}(V_g)$ is far above or far below $\varepsilon_F$. The calculated conductance $G$ of the dot exhibits an unambiguous signature for the Majorana end mode of the wire: in essence, an off-resonance dot [$\varepsilon_\text{dot}(V_g)\neq \varepsilon_F$], which should have $G=0$, shows instead a conductance $e^2/2h$ over a wide range of $V_g$, due to this pinned dot mode. Interestingly, this pinning effect only occurs when the dot level is coupled to a Majorana mode; ordinary fermionic modes (e.g., disorder) in the wire simply split and broaden (if a continuum) the dot level. We discuss experimental scenarios to probe Majorana modes in wires via these leaked/pinned dot modes.Comment: 3 figures, 5 pages, published in Phys. Rev. B (Editors' suggestion

Tuning of heat and charge transport by Majorana fermions

We investigate theoretically thermal and electrical conductances for the system consisting of a quantum dot (QD) connected both to a pair of Majorana fermions residing the edges of a Kitaev wire and two metallic leads. We demonstrate that both quantities reveal pronounced resonances, whose positions can be controlled by tuning of an asymmetry of the couplings of the QD and a pair of MFs. Similar behavior is revealed for the thermopower, Wiedemann-Franz law and dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit. The considered geometry can thus be used as a tuner of heat and charge transport assisted by MFs

Universal zero-bias conductance through a quantum wire side-coupled to a quantum dot

A numerical renormalization-group study of the conductance through a quantum wire side-coupled to a quantum dot is reported. The temperature and the dot-energy dependence of the conductance are examined in the light of a recently derived linear mapping between the Kondo-regime temperature-dependent conductance and the universal function describing the conductance for the symmetric Anderson model of a quantum wire with an embedded quantum dot. Two conduction paths, one traversing the wire, the other a bypass through the quantum dot, are identified. A gate potential applied to the quantum wire is shown to control the flow through the bypass. When the potential favors transport through the wire, the conductance in the Kondo regime rises from nearly zero at low temperatures to nearly ballistic at high temperatures. When it favors the dot, the pattern is reversed: the conductance decays from nearly ballistic to nearly zero. When the fluxes through the two paths are comparable, the conductance is nearly temperature-independent in the Kondo regime, and a Fano antiresonance in the fixed-temperature plot of the conductance as a function of the dot energy signals interference. Throughout the Kondo regime and, at low temperatures, even in the mixed-valence regime, the numerical data are in excellent agreement with the universal mapping.Comment: 12 pages, with 9 figures. Submitted to PR

Spin-dependent beating patterns in thermoelectric properties: Filtering the carriers of the heat flux in a Kondo adatom system

We theoretically investigate the thermoelectric properties of a spin-polarized two-dimensional electron gas hosting a Kondo adatom hybridized with an STM tip. Such a setup is treated within the single-impurity Anderson model in combination with the atomic approach for the Green's functions. Due to the spin dependence of the Fermi wavenumbers the electrical and thermal conductances, together with thermopower and Lorenz number reveal beating patterns as function of the STM tip position in the Kondo regime. In particular, by tuning the lateral displacement of the tip with respect to the adatom vicinity, the temperature and the position of the adatom level, one can change the sign of the Seebeck coefficient through charge and spin. This opens a possibility of the microscopic control of the heat flux analogously to that established for the electrical current