Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots

We study theoretically a ring of three quantum dots mutually coupled by antiferromagnetic exchange interactions and tunnel-coupled to two metallic leads: the simplest model in which the consequences of local frustration arising from internal degrees of freedom may be studied within a two-channel env...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mitchell, A, Logan, D
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2010
_version_ 1797097861014355968
author Mitchell, A
Logan, D
author_facet Mitchell, A
Logan, D
author_sort Mitchell, A
collection OXFORD
description We study theoretically a ring of three quantum dots mutually coupled by antiferromagnetic exchange interactions and tunnel-coupled to two metallic leads: the simplest model in which the consequences of local frustration arising from internal degrees of freedom may be studied within a two-channel environment. Two-channel Kondo (2CK) physics is found to predominate at low energies in the mirror-symmetric models considered, with a residual spin- 1 2 overscreened by coupling to both leads. It is however shown that two distinct 2CK phases, with different ground-state parities, arise on tuning the interdot exchange couplings. In consequence a frustration-induced quantum phase transition occurs, the 2CK phases being separated by a quantum critical point for which an effective low-energy model is derived. Precisely at the transition, parity mixing of the quasidegenerate local trimer states acts to destabilize the 2CK fixed points; and the critical fixed point is shown to consist of a free pseudospin together with effective one-channel spin quenching, itself reflecting underlying channel anisotropy in the inherently two-channel system. Numerical renormalization group techniques and physical arguments are used to obtain a detailed understanding of the problem, including study of both thermodynamic and dynamical properties of the system. © 2010 The American Physical Society.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T05:01:20Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:d86169c8-0670-4ec5-b278-d30175d636f4
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T05:01:20Z
publishDate 2010
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:d86169c8-0670-4ec5-b278-d30175d636f42022-03-27T08:48:08ZTwo-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dotsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d86169c8-0670-4ec5-b278-d30175d636f4EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2010Mitchell, ALogan, DWe study theoretically a ring of three quantum dots mutually coupled by antiferromagnetic exchange interactions and tunnel-coupled to two metallic leads: the simplest model in which the consequences of local frustration arising from internal degrees of freedom may be studied within a two-channel environment. Two-channel Kondo (2CK) physics is found to predominate at low energies in the mirror-symmetric models considered, with a residual spin- 1 2 overscreened by coupling to both leads. It is however shown that two distinct 2CK phases, with different ground-state parities, arise on tuning the interdot exchange couplings. In consequence a frustration-induced quantum phase transition occurs, the 2CK phases being separated by a quantum critical point for which an effective low-energy model is derived. Precisely at the transition, parity mixing of the quasidegenerate local trimer states acts to destabilize the 2CK fixed points; and the critical fixed point is shown to consist of a free pseudospin together with effective one-channel spin quenching, itself reflecting underlying channel anisotropy in the inherently two-channel system. Numerical renormalization group techniques and physical arguments are used to obtain a detailed understanding of the problem, including study of both thermodynamic and dynamical properties of the system. © 2010 The American Physical Society.
spellingShingle Mitchell, A
Logan, D
Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots
title Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots
title_full Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots
title_fullStr Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots
title_full_unstemmed Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots
title_short Two-channel Kondo phases and frustration-induced transitions in triple quantum dots
title_sort two channel kondo phases and frustration induced transitions in triple quantum dots
work_keys_str_mv AT mitchella twochannelkondophasesandfrustrationinducedtransitionsintriplequantumdots
AT logand twochannelkondophasesandfrustrationinducedtransitionsintriplequantumdots