Control of heat transport in quantum spin systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates how heat transport in quantum spin systems can be controlled and manipulated, revealing mechanisms for modulating heat current and achieving rectification and negative differential resistance.

Contribution

It introduces analytical and numerical methods to control heat flow in quantum spin systems, including magnetic tuning and system heterogeneity effects.

Findings

Heat current can be tuned from zero to finite by magnetic field.

Dissimilar spin parts cause rectification and negative differential resistance.

Potential experimental implementations discussed.

Abstract

We study heat transport in quantum spin systems analytically and numerically. First, we demonstrate that heat current through a two-level quantum spin system can be modulated from zero to a finite value by tuning a magnetic field. Second, we show that a spin system, consisting of two dissimilar parts - one is gapped and the other is gapless, exhibits current rectification and negative differential thermal resistance. Possible experimental realizations by using molecular junctions or magnetic materials are discussed.