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Title: Thermodynamics of the polaron master equation at finite bias

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916359· OSTI ID:22415597
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 36, D-10623 Berlin (Germany)
  2. Complex Systems and Statistical Mechanics, University of Luxembourg, L-1511 Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

We study coherent transport through a double quantum dot. Its two electronic leads induce electronic matter and energy transport and a phonon reservoir contributes further energy exchanges. By treating the system-lead couplings perturbatively, whereas the coupling to vibrations is treated non-perturbatively in a polaron-transformed frame, we derive a thermodynamic consistent low-dimensional master equation. When the number of phonon modes is finite, a Markovian description is only possible when these couple symmetrically to both quantum dots. For a continuum of phonon modes however, also asymmetric couplings can be described with a Markovian master equation. We compute the electronic current and dephasing rate. The electronic current enables transport spectroscopy of the phonon frequency and displays signatures of Franck-Condon blockade. For infinite external bias but finite tunneling bandwidths, we find oscillations in the current as a function of the internal bias due to the electron-phonon coupling. Furthermore, we derive the full fluctuation theorem and show its identity to the entropy production in the system.

OSTI ID:
22415597
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 142, Issue 13; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English