Heat-Driven Electron-Motion in a Nanoscale Electronic Circuit

TL;DR

This paper investigates phonon-mediated interactions causing current generation in a nanoscale electronic circuit with two coupled wires, revealing how barrier positions influence drag current direction.

Contribution

It experimentally demonstrates heat-driven electron motion and the role of barrier positioning in controlling drag current in nanoscale wires.

Findings

Drag current depends on wire length relative to the barrier.

Barrier positioning in drive and drag wires determines current direction.

Electron excitations are mediated by phonons in the interaction.

Abstract

We study the interaction between two closely spaced but electrically isolated quasi-one-dimensional electrical wires by a drag experiment. In this work we experimentally demonstrate the generation of current in an unbiased (drag) wire, which results from the interactions with a neighboring biased (drive) wire. The direction of the drag current depends on the length of the one-dimensional wire with respect to the position of the barrier in the drag wire. When we additionally form a potential barrier in the drive wire, the direction of the drag current is determined by the relative position of the two barriers. We interpret this behavior in terms of electron excitations by phonon-mediated interactions between the two wires in presence of the electron scattering inside the drive wire.