Studies of thermally
induced transport in nanostructures provide
access to an exciting regime where fluctuations are relevant, enabling
the investigation of fundamental thermodynamic concepts and the realization
of thermal energy harvesters. We study a serial double quantum dot
formed in an InAs/InP nanowire coupled to two electron reservoirs.
By means of a specially designed local metallic joule-heater, the
temperature of the phonon bath in the vicinity of the double quantum
dot can be enhanced. This results in phonon-assisted transport, enabling
the conversion of local heat into electrical power in a nanosized
heat engine. Simultaneously, the electron temperatures of the reservoirs
are affected, resulting in conventional thermoelectric transport.
By detailed modeling and experimentally tuning the interdot coupling,
we disentangle both effects. Furthermore, we show that phonon-assisted
transport is sensitive to excited states. Our findings demonstrate
the versatility of our design to study fluctuations and fundamental
nanothermodynamics.