Multiple-particle scattering in quantum point contacts

Dganit Meidan, Yuval Oreg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent experiments performed on weakly pinched quantum point contacts have shown a resistance that tends to decrease at low source drain voltage. We show that enhanced Coulomb interactions, prompted by the presence of the point contact, may lead to anomalously large multiple-particle scattering at finite bias voltage. These processes tend to decrease at low voltage, and thus may account for the observed reduction of the resistance. We concentrate on the case of a normal point contact, and model it by a spinful interacting Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid, with a single impurity, connected to noninteracting leads. We find that sufficiently strong Coulomb interactions enhance two-electron scatterings, which dominate the conductance. Our calculation shows that the effective charge, probed by the shot noise of such a system, approaches a value proportional to e*=2e at a sufficiently large backscattering current. This distinctive hallmark may be tested experimentally. We discuss possible applications of this model to experiments conducted on Hall bars.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121312.1-121312.4
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume72
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Sep 2005
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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