Thermoelectric Inversion in a Resonant Quantum Dot-Cavity System in the Steady-State Regime

Area of Science:

• Quantum physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Thermoelectric effects are crucial for energy conversion.
• Quantum dots offer tunable electronic properties.
• Photon-matter interactions can influence quantum transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate thermoelectric effects in a quantum dot system.
• Analyze the impact of a quantized photon field on thermoelectric current.
• Explore photon-induced thermoelectric transport channels.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical investigation using a quantum master equation.
• Modeling a quantum dot coupled to electron reservoirs and a 3D cavity photon field.
• Analysis of steady-state thermoelectric current under a temperature gradient.

Main Results:

• Quantized photons create 'photon replica states', enabling photon-induced thermoelectric current.
• These states contribute to transport regardless of thermal gradient direction.
• Off-resonance: Strong coupling and photon energy lead to current blockage.
• Resonance: Rabi-splitting causes thermoelectric current inversion.

Conclusions:

• Photon fields can significantly modify thermoelectric current magnitude and sign.
• This offers a novel method for controlling thermoelectric transport without voltage bias.
• Findings are relevant for quantum information processing and energy harvesting devices.