Heat generation by electric current in mesoscopic devices

Abstract

We study the heat generation in a nano-device with an electric current passing through the device. For the first time, a general formula for the heat generation is derived by using the nonequilibrium Keldysh Green functions. This formula can be applied in both the linear and nonlinear transport regions, for time-dependent systems, and with multi-terminal devices. The formula is also valid when the nano-device contains various interactions. As an application of the formula, the heat generation of a lead-quantum dot-lead system is investigated. The dc and ac biases are studied in detail. We find several interesting behaviors that are unique to nanostructures, revealing significant difference from heat generation in macroscopic systems.

10 pages, 2 figures

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Cited by in corpus (12)

• Quantum thermal transport in nanostructures
• Coupled electron and phonon transport in one-dimensional atomic junctions
• The electric current induced heat generation in a strongly interacting quantum dot in the Coulomb blockade regime
• Effects of electron-phonon interaction on thermal and electrical transport through molecular nano-conductors
• Transient heat generation in a quantum dot under a step-like pulse bias
• Thermoelectric transport through a quantum nanoelectromechanical system and its backaction
• Thermal dissipation in the quantum Hall regime in graphene
• Phonon-Assisted Andreev Reflection at Majorana Zero Mode
• Inelastic Kondo-Andreev tunnelings in a vibrating quantum dot
• Phonon-Assisted Tunneling through Quantum Dot Systems Connected to Majorana Bound States
• Dissipation and dephasing in quantum Hall interferometers
• Andreev reflection in normal metal/charge-4e superconductor junctions