Collective Transport in Arrays of Quantum Dots

TL;DR

This paper investigates collective charge transport in quantum dot arrays, revealing how disorder and interactions influence conduction thresholds and dynamics, with implications for experimental observation and theoretical understanding.

Contribution

It introduces a novel argument for correlation length exponents and analytically predicts the dynamical exponent for current above threshold in quantum dot arrays.

Findings

Threshold for conduction grows linearly with array size at low temperatures.

Correlation length exponent near threshold derived from interface growth analogy.

Analytical prediction of dynamical exponent for current above threshold.

Abstract

(WORDS: QUANTUM DOTS, COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT, PHYSICAL EXAMPLE OF KPZ) Collective charge transport is studied in one- and two-dimensional arrays of small normal-metal dots separated by tunnel barriers. At temperatures well below the charging energy of a dot, disorder leads to a threshold for conduction which grows linearly with the size of the array. For short-ranged interactions, one of the correlation length exponents near threshold is found from a novel argument based on interface growth. The dynamical exponent for the current above threshold is also predicted analytically, and the requirements for its experimental observation are described.