The Coulomb Blockade Resonant Breakdown Caused By The Quantum Dot Mechanical Oscillations

TL;DR

This paper investigates how forced mechanical vibrations of a suspended quantum dot in a single-electron transistor cause Coulomb blockade breakdown, resulting in sharp conductance peaks at mechanical resonance frequencies.

Contribution

It introduces the concept that mechanical oscillations can induce Coulomb blockade breakdown, linking mechanical vibrations to electronic transport phenomena in quantum dots.

Findings

Mechanical vibrations cause sharp conductance peaks at resonance frequencies.

Coulomb blockade breakdown is triggered by mechanical oscillations.

The effect is linked to oscillations of electrical capacitances.

Abstract

Influence of forced mechanical vibrations of a suspended single-electron transistor on electron tunneling through the quantum dot limited by the Coulomb blockade is investigated. It is shown that mechanical oscillations of the quantum dot lead to the Coulomb blockade breakdown, shown in sharp resonant peaks in the transistor conductance dependence on the excitation frequency at values corresponding to the mechanical oscillations eigen modes. Physical mechanism of the observed effect is considered. It is presumably connected with oscillations of the mutual electrical capacitances between the quantum dot and surrounding electrodes.