Symmetry of two terminal, non-linear electric conduction

TL;DR

This paper proposes new symmetry relations for non-linear electric conductance in two-terminal devices, extending linear transport symmetries, and confirms them experimentally with semiconductor quantum dots.

Contribution

It introduces novel symmetry relations applicable to non-linear conductance, which were not previously established for such systems.

Findings

Symmetry relations hold for non-linear conductance with respect to bias and magnetic field.

Experimental confirmation using phase-coherent semiconductor quantum dots.

Extends understanding of transport symmetries beyond linear regime.

Abstract

The well-established symmetry relations for linear transport phenomena can not, in general, be applied in the non-linear regime. Here we propose a set of symmetry relations with respect to bias voltage and magnetic field for the non-linear conductance of two-terminal electric conductors. We experimentally confirm these relations using phase-coherent, semiconductor quantum dots.