Quantum Ratchets
Statistical Mechanics
2009-10-30 v2 Quantum Physics
Abstract
The concept of thermal ratchets is extended to the system governed by quantum mechanics. We study a tight-binding model with an asymmetric periodic potential contacting with a heat bath under an external oscillating field as a specific example of quantum ratchet. Dynamics of a density operator of this system is studied numerically by using the quantum Liouville equation. Finite net current is found in the non-equilibrium steady state. The direction of the current varies with parameters, in contrast with the classical thermal ratchets.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9706222,
title = {Quantum Ratchets},
author = {Satoshi Yukawa and Macoto Kikuchi and Gen Tatara and Hiroshi Matsukawa},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9706222},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
7 pages, Latex, 4 ps figures; No change in the text by this replacement. only the figures are replaced with higher quality ones (but smaller size)