Modeling the quasistatic energy transport between nanoparticles

We consider phononic energy transport between nanoparticles mediated by a quantum particle. The nanoparticles are considered as thermal reservoirs described by ensembles of finite numbers of harmonic oscillators within the Drude-Ullersma model having, in general, unequal mode spacings Δ(1) and Δ(2), which amount to different numbers of atoms in the nanoparticles. The quasistatic energy transport between the nanoparticles on the time scale t∼1/Δ(1,2) is investigated using the generalized quantum Langevin equation. We find that double degeneracy of system's eigenfrequencies, which occurs in the case of identical nanoparticles, is removed when the mode spacings become unequal. The equations describing the dynamics of the averaged eigenmode energies are derived and solved, and the resulting expression for the energy current between the nanoparticles is obtained and explored. Unlike the case when the thermodynamic limit is assumed resulting in time-independent energy current, finite-size effects result in temporal behavior of the energy current that evinces reversibility features combined with decay and possesses peculiarities at time moments t=2πn/Δ(1)+2πm/Δ(2) for non-negative integers n and m. When Δ(1,2)→0, an expression for the heat current obtained previously under assumption of the thermodynamic limit is reproduced. The energy current between two platinum nanoparticles mediated by a carbon oxide molecule is considered as an application of the developed model.