S. N. Karmakar

Effect of dephasing on electron transport in a molecular wire: Green’s function approach

Abstract The effect of dephasing on electron transport through a benzene molecule is carefully examined using a phenomenological model introduced by Buttiker. Within a tight-binding framework all the calculations are performed based on the Green’s function formalism. We investigate the influence of dephasing on transmission probability and current–voltage characteristics for three different configurations ( ortho , meta and para ) of the molecular system depending on the locations of two contacting leads. The presence of dephasing provides a significant change in the spectral properties of the molecule and exhibits several interesting patterns that have so far remain unexplored.

Role of a new type of correlated disorder in extended electronic states in the Thue-Morse lattice.

A new type of correlated disorder is shown to be responsible for the appearance of extended electronic states in one-dimensional aperiodic systems like the Thue-Morse lattice. Our analysis leads to an understanding of the underlying reason for the extended states in this system, for which only numerical evidence is available in the literature so far. The present work also sheds light on the restrictive conditions under which the extended states are supported by this lattice.

Magneto-transport in a mesoscopic ring with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions

Electronic transport in a one-dimensional mesoscopic ring threaded by a magnetic flux is studied in the presence of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions. A completely analytical technique within a tight-binding formalism unveils the spin-split bands in the presence of the spin-orbit interactions and leads to a method of determining the strength of the Dresselhaus interaction. In addition to this, the persistent currents for ordered and disordered rings have been investigated numerically. It is observed that the presence of the spin-orbit interaction, in general, leads to an enhanced amplitude of the persistent current. Numerical results corroborate the respective analytical findings.

Multi-terminal electron transport through single phenalenyl molecule: A theoretical study

Abstract We do parametric calculations to elucidate multi-terminal electron transport properties through a molecular system where a single phenalenyl molecule is attached to semi-infinite one-dimensional metallic leads. A formalism based on the Green’s function technique is used for the calculations while the model is described by tight-binding Hamiltonian. We explore the transport properties in terms of conductance, reflection probability as well as current–voltage characteristic. The most significant feature we articulate is that all these characteristics are very sensitive to the locations where the leads are connected and also the molecule-to-lead coupling strengths. The presence of other leads also has a remarkable effect on these transport properties. We study these phenomena for two-, three- and four-terminal molecular systems. Our numerical study may be utilized in designing tailor-made molecular electronic devices.

Extended states in one-dimensional lattices : application to the quasiperiodic copper-mean chain

The question of the conditions under which one-dimensional systems support extended electronic eigenstates is addressed in a very general context. Using real-space renormalization-group arguements we discuss the precise criteria for determining the entire spectrum of extended eigenstates and the corresponding eigenfunctions in disordered as well as quasiperiodic systems. For purposes of illustration we calculate a few selected eigenvalues and the corresponding extended eigenfunctions for the quasiperiodic copper-mean chain. So far, for the infinite copper-mean chain, only a single energy has been numerically shown to support an extended eigenstate [J. Q. You, J. R. Yan, T. Xie, X. Zeng, and J. X. Zhong, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 3, 7255 (1991)]: we show analytically that there is in fact an infinite number of extended eigenstates in this lattice which form fragmented minibands.

Spin transport through a quantum network: Effects of Rashba spin-orbit interaction and Aharonov-Bohm flux

We address spin dependent transport through an array of diamonds in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction where each diamond plaquette is penetrated by an Aharonov–Bohm (AB) flux ϕ. The diamond chain is attached symmetrically to two semi-infinite one-dimensional nonmagnetic metallic leads. We adopt a single particle tight-binding Hamiltonian to describe the system and study spin transport using Green’s function formalism. After presenting an analytical method for the energy dispersion relation of an infinite diamond chain in the presence of Rashba SO interaction, we study numerically the conductance-energy characteristics together with the density of states of a finite sized diamond network. At the typical flux ϕ=ϕ0/2, a delocalizing effect is observed in the presence of Rashba SO interaction, and, depending on the specific choices of SO interaction strength and AB flux the quantum network can be used as a spin filter. Our analysis may be inspiring in designing spintronic devices.

Enhancement of persistent current in mesoscopic rings and cylinders: shortest and next possible shortest higher-order hopping

We present a detailed study of persistent current and low-field magnetic susceptibility in single isolated normal metal mesoscopic rings and cylinders in the tight-binding model with higher-order hopping integral in the Hamiltonian. Our exact calculations show that order of magnitude enhancement of persistent current takes place even in the presence of disorder if we include the higher-order hopping integral in the Hamiltonian. In strictly one-channel mesoscopic rings the sign of the low-field currents can be predicted exactly even in the presence of impurity. We observe that perfect rings with both odd and even numbers of electrons support only diamagnetic currents. On the other hand in the disordered rings, irrespective of realization of the disordered configurations of the ring, we always get diamagnetic currents with odd numbers of electrons and paramagnetic currents with even numbers of electrons. In mesoscopic cylinders the sign of the low-field currents cannot be predicted exactly since it strongly depends on the total number of electrons, Ne, and also on the disordered configurations of the system. From the variation of persistent current amplitude with system size for constant electron density, we conclude that the enhancement of persistent current due to additional higher-order hopping integrals is visible only in the mesoscopic regime.

Strange behavior of persistent currents in small Hubbard rings

We show exactly that small Hubbard rings exhibit unusual kink-like structures giving anomalous oscillations in persistent current. Singular behavior of persistent current disappears in some cases. In half-filled systems mobility gradually drops to zero with interaction, while it converges to some finite value in non-half-filled cases.

Spin-orbit interaction induced spin selective transmission through a multi-terminal mesoscopic ring

Spin dependent transport in a multi-terminal mesoscopic ring is investigated in presence of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions. Within a tight-binding framework, we use a general spin density matrix formalism to evaluate all three components (Px, Py, and Pz) of the polarization vector associated with the charge current through the outgoing leads. It explores the dynamics of the spin polarization vector of current propagating through the system subjected to the Rashba and/or the Dresselhaus spin-orbit couplings. The sensitivity of the polarization components on the electrode-ring interface geometry is discussed in detail. Our present analysis provides an understanding of the coupled spin and electron transport in mesoscopic bridge systems.

Logical XOR gate response in a quantum interferometer: A spin dependent transport

Abstract. We examine spin dependent transport in a quantum interferometer composed of magnetic atomic sites based on transfer matrix formalism. The interferometer, threaded by a magnetic flux ϕ, is symmetrically attached to two semi-infinite one-dimensional (1D) non-magnetic electrodes, namely, source and drain. A simple tight-binding model is used to describe the bridge system, and, here we address numerically the conductance-energy and current-voltage characteristics as functions of the interferometer-to-electrode coupling strength, magnetic flux and the orientation of local the magnetic moments associated with each atomic site. Quite interestingly it is observed that, for ϕ = ϕ0/2 (ϕ0 = ch/e, the elementary flux-quantum) a logical XOR gate like response is observed, depending on the orientation of the local magnetic moments associated with the magnetic atoms in the upper and lower arms of the interferometer, and it can be changed by an externally applied gate magnetic field. This aspect may be utilized in designing a spin based electronic logic gate.