Electromotive force and internal resistance of an electron pump
Abstract
We present a scattering theory of the electromotive force and internal resistance of an electron pump. The characterization of the device performance in terms of only two parameters requires the assumption of incoherent multiple scattering within the circuit and complete thermalization among electrons moving in a given direction. The electromotive force is shown to be of the order of the driving frequency in natural units. In an open setup, the electromotive force adds to the voltage difference between reservoirs to drive the current, both facing a contact resistance that is absent in the case of a closed circuit of uniform width.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- September 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.70.125315
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0308257
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhRvB..70l5315R
- Keywords:
-
- 73.23.-b;
- 72.10.Bg;
- 73.40.Cg;
- Electronic transport in mesoscopic systems;
- General formulation of transport theory;
- Contact resistance contact potential;
- Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
- E-Print:
- doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.70.125315