Dynamic thermoelectric and heat transport in mesoscopic capacitors

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the low-frequency charge and heat transport in mesoscopic capacitors, deriving expressions for quantum admittances and revealing how thermocurrent behavior depends on gate voltage and relaxation resistance properties.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical framework for understanding thermoelectric and heat transport in mesoscopic capacitors, including new expressions for quantum admittances and insights into relaxation resistance behavior.

Findings

Thermocurrent can lead or lag the applied temperature depending on gate voltage.

Relaxation resistance for cross terms is nonuniversal.

Derived generic expressions for quantum admittances up to second order in ac frequencies.

Abstract

We discuss the low-frequency response of charge and heat transport to oscillatory voltage and temperature shifts in mesoscopic capacitors. We obtain within scattering theory generic expressions for the quantum admittances up to second order in the ac frequencies in terms of electric, thermoelectric and heat capacitances and relaxation resistances. Remarkably, we find that the thermocurrent can lead or lag the applied temperature depending on the gate voltage applied to a quantum $RC$ circuit. Furthermore, the relaxation resistance for cross terms becomes nonuniversal as opposed to the purely electric or thermal cases.