Current-induced forces in single-resonance systems

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in nanoelectromechanical devices, currentdriven quantum machines, and the mechanical effects of electric currents on nanoscale conductors. Here, we carry out a thorough study of the current-induced forces and the electronic friction of systems whose electronic effective Hamiltonian can be described by an archetypal model, a single energy level coupled to two reservoirs. Our results can help better understand the general conditions that maximize the performance of different devices modeled as a quantum dot coupled to two electronic reservoirs. Additionally, they can be useful to rationalize the role of current-induced forces in the mechanical deformation of one-dimensional conductors.