Coulomb-coupled quantum-dot thermal transistors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum-dot thermal transistor with Coulomb coupling, demonstrating significant heat flow amplification controlled by base temperature, promising for nanoscale thermal circuit applications.

Contribution

It presents the design and analysis of a quantum-dot thermal transistor with Coulomb coupling, highlighting its high amplification capability and potential for low-temperature thermal circuits.

Findings

Large heat flow amplification achieved

Optimization of Coulomb interaction enhances performance

Potential for nanoscale thermal circuit applications

Abstract

A quantum-dot thermal transistor consisting of three Coulomb-coupled quantum dots coupled to respective electronic reservoirs by tunnel contacts is established. The heat flows through the collector and emitter can be controlled by the temperature of the base. It is found that a small change in the base heat flow can induce a large heat flow change in the collector and emitter. The huge amplification factor can be obtained by optimizing the Coulomb interaction between the collector and the emitter or by decreasing the energy-dependent tunneling rate at the base. The proposed quantum-dot thermal transistor may open up potential applications in low-temperature solid-state thermal circuits at the nanoscale.