Nonequilibrium transport in quantum impurity models: Exact path integral simulations

TL;DR

This paper uses an advanced path integral method to simulate the nonequilibrium quantum transport dynamics in impurity models like the Anderson model, providing detailed insights into time evolution and current behavior.

Contribution

It applies an iterative influence-functional path integral technique to quantum impurity models, enabling exact simulations of their nonequilibrium dynamics.

Findings

Time evolution of dot occupation analyzed

Current characteristics at finite temperature studied

Comparison with mean-field results provided

Abstract

We simulate the nonequilibrium dynamics of two generic many-body quantum impurity models by employing the recently developed iterative influence-functional path integral method [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 82}, 205323 (2010)]. This general approach is presented here in the context of quantum transport in molecular electronic junctions. Models of particular interest include the single impurity Anderson model and the related spinless two-state Anderson dot. In both cases we study the time evolution of the dot occupation and the current characteristics at finite temperature. A comparison to mean-field results is presented, when applicable.