Signatures of a Noise-Induced Quantum Phase Transition in a Mesoscopic Metal Ring

Ning-Hua Tong and Matthias Vojta
Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 016802 – Published 7 July 2006

Abstract

We study a mesoscopic ring with an inline quantum dot threaded by an Aharonov-Bohm flux. Zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic environment capacitively coupled to the ring, with ωs spectral density, can suppress tunneling through the dot, resulting in a quantum phase transition from an unpolarized to a polarized phase. We show that robust signatures of such a transition can be found in the response of the persistent current in the ring to the external flux as well as to the bias between the dot and the arm. Particular attention is paid to the experimentally relevant cases of Ohmic (s=1) and sub-Ohmic (s=1/2) noise.

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  • Received 22 December 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.016802

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Ning-Hua Tong2,1 and Matthias Vojta1

  • 1Institut für Theorie der Kondensierten Materie, Universität Karlsruhe, 76128 Karlsruhe, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China

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Issue

Vol. 97, Iss. 1 — 7 July 2006

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