Stability of long-sustained oscillations induced by electron tunneling

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability and complex behaviors of self-oscillations in quantum devices caused by electron tunneling, revealing their potential for long-lasting and robust oscillatory states.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of bistability, hysteresis, and long-term stability of self-oscillations in quantum dot systems due to electron tunneling.

Findings

Hysteresis cycles observed in quantum dot oscillations

Oscillations remain stable for over 20 seconds

Complex behaviors include irruption, vanishing, and bistability

Abstract

Self-oscillations are the result of an efficient mechanism generating periodic motion from a constant power source. In quantum devices, these oscillations may arise due to the interaction between single electron dynamics and mechanical motion. We show that, due to the complexity of this mechanism, these self-oscillations may irrupt, vanish, or exhibit a bistable behaviour causing hysteresis cycles. We observe these hysteresis cycles and characterize the stability of different regimes in both single and double quantum dot configurations. In particular cases, we find these oscillations stable for over 20 seconds, many orders of magnitude above electronic and mechanical characteristic timescales, revealing the robustness of the mechanism at play.