Three-terminal quantum-dot thermal management devices

Abstract

We theoretically demonstrate that the heat flows can be manipulated by designing a three-terminal quantum-dot system consisting of three Coulomb-coupled quantum dots connected to respective reservoirs. In this structure, the electron transport between the quantum dots is forbidden, but the heat transport is allowed by the Coulomb interaction to transmit heat between the reservoirs with a temperature difference. We show that such a system is capable of performing thermal management operations, such as heat flow swap, thermal switch, and heat path selector. An important thermal rectifier, i.e., a thermal diode, can be implemented separately in two different paths. The asymmetric configuration of a quantum-dot system is a necessary condition for thermal management operations in practical applications. These results should have important implications in providing the design principle for quantum-dot thermal management devices and may open up potential applications for the thermal management of quantum-dot systems at the nanoscale.

The reverse flow and amplification of heat in a quantum-dot system

“…Dutta et al made a tunable heat valve gate by controlling the heat flow in a Kondo-correlated single-quantumdot transistor [20,21]. Zhang et al proposed a quantum thermal transistor based on three Coulomb-coupled quantum dots [22,23]. Jaliel et al experimentally realized a resonant tunneling energy harvester by connecting two quantum dots in series with a hot cavity [24].…”

Comparative study of heat-driven and power-driven refrigerators with Coulomb-coupled quantum dots

“…Additionally, a very similar device was recently conceived as the first experimental autonomous Maxwell demon [24,25] and further studied theoretically [26]. More broadly, in the buoyant field of nanoscale thermoelectrics, other kinds of nano-devices have been recently examined, essentially for energy harvesting purpose, heat diode realization, or in the Maxwell demon context, both experimentally [27][28][29] and theoretically, [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. A short pedagogical review can be found in Ref.…”

Heat-flow allocator based on a triple quantum dot

“…Vidan et al presented an experimental realization of a triple quantum dot charging ratchet based on three tunnel-coupled quantum dots in the Coulomb blockade regime [34]. Recent experimental studies have shown that a triple quantum dot with triangular geometry can simultaneously measure electronic transport along two different paths [37] and the effect of interactions between the charge flowing through the two different paths have also been analyzed [38].When consider three capacitively coupled quantum dots with triangular geometry in the Coulomb-blockade regime, the electron transport between the quantum dots is forbidden, but the heat transport is allowed by the Coulomb interaction [40]. In this respect, the triple quantum dots offer the possibility of analyzing new fascinating properties which are not presented in double quantum-dot systems.…”

“…When consider three capacitively coupled quantum dots with triangular geometry in the Coulomb-blockade regime, the electron transport between the quantum dots is forbidden, but the heat transport is allowed by the Coulomb interaction [40]. In this respect, the triple quantum dots offer the possibility of analyzing new fascinating properties which are not presented in double quantum-dot systems.…”