SU(4) Kondo Effect in Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

We investigate theoretically the non-equilibrium transport properties of carbon nanotube quantum dots. Owing to the two-dimensional band structure of graphene, a double orbital degeneracy plays the role of a pseudo-spin, which is entangled with the spin. Quantum fluctuations between these four degrees of freedom result in an SU(4) Kondo effect at low temperatures. This exotic Kondo effect manifests as a four-peak splitting in the non-linear conductance when an axial magnetic field is applied.

5 pages, 4 figures