Quantum-dot circuit-QED thermoelectric diodes and transistors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that cavity-coupled double quantum dots in circuit-QED systems can function as efficient quantum thermoelectric diodes and transistors, exhibiting strong rectification and thermal transistor effects due to light-matter interactions.

Contribution

It introduces the application of quantum-dot circuit-QED setups as thermoelectric diodes and transistors, revealing their transport properties and rectification effects.

Findings

Non-monotonic thermoelectric transport dependence on electron-photon interaction

Pronounced charge and heat rectification effects

Thermal transistor behavior in linear transport regime

Abstract

Recent breakthroughs in quantum-dot circuit-quantum-electrodynamics (circuit-QED) systems are important both from a fundamental perspective and from the point of view of quantum photonic devices. However, understanding the applications of such setups as potential thermoelectric diodes and transistors has been missing. In this paper, via the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function approach, we show that cavity-coupled double quantum-dots can serve as excellent quantum thermoelectric diodes and transistors. Using an enhanced perturbation approach based on polaron-transformations, we find non-monotonic dependences of thermoelectric transport properties on the electron-photon interaction. Strong light-matter interaction leads to pronounced rectification effects for both charge and heat, as well as thermal transistor effects in the linear transport regime, which opens up a cutting-edge frontier for quantum thermoelectric devices.