Tunneling spectroscopy of Luttinger-liquid structures far from equilibrium

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical framework for tunneling spectroscopy in non-equilibrium quantum wires with spatially varying interactions, revealing how electron interactions and plasmon scattering influence electron distributions and tunneling density of states.

Contribution

It introduces a model of out-of-equilibrium Luttinger liquids with spatially dependent interactions, analyzing their effects on tunneling spectroscopy and electron energy redistribution.

Findings

Interaction causes renormalization of tunneling density of states.

Plasmon scattering at boundary regions controls energy relaxation.

Electron distribution functions are significantly affected by interactions.

Abstract

We develop a theory of tunneling spectroscopy of interacting electrons in a non-equilibrium quantum wire coupled to reservoirs. The problem is modelled as an out-of-equilibrium Luttinger liquid with spatially dependent interaction. The interaction leads to the renormalization of the tunneling density of states, as well as to the redistribution of electrons over energies. Energy relaxation is controlled by plasmon scattering at the boundaries between regions with different interaction strength, and affects the distribution function of electrons in the wire as well as that of electrons emitted from the interacting regions into non-interacting electrodes.