Thermoelectric effects in Kondo correlated quantum dots

The thermopower of few-electron quantum dots with Kondo correlations is investigated via a hierarchial equations of motion approach. The thermopower is determined by the line shape of spectral function within a narrow energy window defined by temperature. Based on calculations and analyses on single-level and two-level Anderson impurity models, the underlying relations between thermopower and various types of electron correlations are elaborated. In particular, an unconventio...

We discuss the temperature-dependent thermoelectric transport properties of semiconductor nanostructures comprising a quantum dot coupled to quantum wires: the thermal dependence of the electrical conductance, thermal conductance, and thermopower. We explore the universality of the thermoelectric properties in the temperature range associated with the Kondo crossover. In this thermal range, general arguments indicate that any equilibrium property's temperature dependence shou...

Quantum dots (QDs) are good model systems for fundamental studies of mesoscopic transport phenomena using thermoelectric effects because of their small size, electrostatically tunable properties and thermoelectric response characteristics that are very sensitive to small thermal biases. Here we provide a review of experimental studies on thermoelectric properties of single QDs realized in two-dimensional electron gases, single-walled carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowir...

We study nonequilibrium thermoelectric transport properties of a correlated impurity connected to two leads for temperatures below the Kondo scale. At finite bias, for which a current flows across the leads, we investigate the differential response of the current to a temperature gradient. In particular, we compare the influence of a bias voltage and of a finite temperature on this thermoelectric response. This is of interest from a fundamental point of view to better underst...

We investigate thermoelectric properties of correlated quantum dots and molecules, described by a single level Anderson model coupled to conduction electron leads, by using Wilson's numerical renormalization group method. In the Kondo regime, the thermopower, $S(T)$, exhibits two sign changes, at temperatures $T=T_{1}$ and $T=T_{2}>T_{1}$. We find that $T_{2}$ is of order the level width $\Gamma$ and $T_{1}> T_{p}\approx T_{K}$, where $T_{p}$ is the position of the Kondo indu...

We study the low temperature properties of the differential response of the current to a temperature gradient at finite voltage in a single level quantum dot including electron-electron interaction, non-symmetric couplings to the leads and non-linear effects. The calculated response is significantly enhanced in setups with large asymmetries between the tunnel couplings. In the investigated range of voltages and temperatures with corresponding energies up to several times the ...

We investigate the nonlinear regime of charge and energy transport through Coulomb-blockaded quantum dots. We discuss crossed effects that arise when electrons move in response to thermal gradients (Seebeck effect) or energy flows in reaction to voltage differences (Peltier effect). We find that the differential thermoelectric conductance shows a characteristic Coulomb butterfly structure due to charging effects. Importantly, we show that experimentally observed thermovoltage...

We study the thermoelectric coefficients of a multi-level quantum dot (QD) weakly coupled to two electron reservoirs in the Coulomb blockade regime. Detailed calculations and analytical expressions of the power factor and the figure of merit are presented. We restrict our interest to the limit where the energy separation between successive energy levels is much larger than the thermal energy (i.e., the quantum limit) and we report a giant enhancement of the figure of merit du...

We review recent developments in nonlinear quantum transport through nanostructures and mesoscopic systems driven by thermal gradients or in combination with voltage biases. Low-dimensional conductors are excellent platforms to analyze both the thermoelectric and heat dynamics beyond linear response because due to their small size a small temperature difference applied across regions gives rise to large thermal biases. We offer a theoretical discussion based on the scattering...

I discuss thermoelectric properties of a quantum dot coupled to one normal and one superconducting lead in the presence of Kondo effect and Andreev scattering. I will focus on conductance, thermal conductance, thermopower and related quantities like thermoelectric figure of merit which is a direct measure of the usefulness of the system for applications and Wiedemann-Franz ratio which indicates if the system is in the Fermi liquid state. I will show that the superconductivity...