Buchholz, Sven S. | Search NASA

DOE OSTI2016

Thermal energy and charge currents in multi-terminal nanorings

We study in experiment and theory thermal energy and charge transfer close to the quantum limit in a ballistic nanodevice, consisting of multiply connected one-dimensional electron waveguides. The fabricated device is based on an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure and is covered by a global top-gate to steer the thermal energy and charge transfer in the presence of a temperature gradient, which is established by a heating current. The estimate of the heat transfer by means of thermal noise measurements shows the device acting as a switch for charge and thermal energy transfer. The wave-packet simulations are based on the multi-terminal Landauer-Büttiker approach and confirm the experimental finding of a mode-dependent redistribution of the thermal energy current, if a scatterer breaks the device symmetry.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Mode-selected heat flow through a one-dimensional waveguide network

Cross-correlated measurements of thermal noise are performed to determine the electron temperature in nanopatterned channels of a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure at 4.2 K. Two-dimensional (2D) electron reservoirs are connected via an extended one-dimensional (1D) electron waveguide network. Hot electrons are produced using a current I{sub h} in a source 2D reservoir, are transmitted through the ballistic 1D waveguide, and relax in a drain 2D reservoir. We find that the electron temperature increase, ΔT{sub e}, in the drain is proportional to the square of the heating current I{sub h}, as expected from Joule's law. No temperature increase is observed in the drain when the 1D waveguide does not transmit electrons. Therefore, we conclude that electron-phonon interaction is negligible for heat transport between 2D reservoirs at temperatures below 4.2 K. Furthermore, mode control of the 1D electron waveguide by application of a top-gate voltage reveals that ΔT{sub e} is not proportional to the number of populated subbands N, as previously observed in single 1D conductors. This can be explained with the splitting of the heat flow in the 1D waveguide network.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗