Kick-induced rectified current in symmetric nano-electromechanical shuttle

TL;DR

This paper investigates how periodic kicks and symmetry breaking in a nano-electromechanical shuttle induce rectified currents, revealing chaotic motion as a key factor in generating nonzero currents.

Contribution

It demonstrates that breaking time-translational symmetry in a symmetric nano-shuttle leads to rectified current, with chaotic dynamics playing a crucial role.

Findings

Rectified current is zero in symmetric, unperturbed shuttle.

Breaking symmetry induces nonzero rectified current.

Chaotic shuttle motion correlates with increased scattered current.

Abstract

We have studied the rectified current in a geometrically symmetric nano-electromechanical shuttle with periodic kicks and sinusoidal ac bias voltages. The rectified current is exactly zero under the geometrical symmetry which is generated by the electrons transferred from source to drain electrodes through the movable shuttle. We investigate the nonzero rectified currents through the symmetric shuttle with regular motion of which the time-translational symmetry is broken. The motion of the shuttle, moreover, becomes chaotic with the same mechanism of the kicked rotor and generates the scattered current as increasing kick strength. We point out that the time-translational-symmetry breaking of the instantaneous current is an important role of manipulation of the rectified current.