Kondo Screening Cloud and Charge Quantization in Mesoscopic Devices

TL;DR

This paper suggests that the size of the Kondo screening cloud can be experimentally probed through charge quantization measurements in mesoscopic systems, revealing universal scaling behavior related to the Kondo effect.

Contribution

It introduces a method to measure the Kondo screening cloud size via charge quantization in one-dimensional systems coupled to quantum dots, highlighting a universal scaling function.

Findings

Charge steps are influenced by the Kondo effect when system size matches xi_K.

The ratio of Coulomb blockade valley widths is a universal function of xi_K/L.

The proposed method provides a way to experimentally access the Kondo screening cloud.

Abstract

We propose that the finite size of the Kondo screening cloud, xi_K, can be probed by measuring the charge quantization in a one-dimensional system coupled to a small quantum dot. When the chemical potential in the system is varied at zero temperature, one should observe charge steps that are controlled by the Kondo effect when the system size L is comparable to xi_K. We show that, if the standard Kondo model is used, the ratio between the widths of the Coulomb blockade valleys with odd or even number of electrons is a universal scaling function of xi_K/L.