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Double Quantum Dots Control Kondo Effect In Nanoscience Study

Date:
September 16, 2006
Source:
Ohio University
Summary:
Two quantum dots connected by wires could help scientists better control the Kondo effect in experiments, according to a study by Ohio University and University of Florida physicists published in a recent issue of Physical Review Letters.
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Two quantum dots connected by wires could help scientists better control the Kondo effect in experiments, according to a study by Ohio University and University of Florida physicists published in a recent issue of Physical Review Letters.

The Kondo effect occurs when electrons become trapped around the magnetic impurities in semiconductor materials, which prompts the electrons to change their spin. This phenomenon has intrigued scientists, as electronic correlations can create interesting and complex behavior in materials.

In the new work, scientists demonstrate how the two quantum dot system can behave in two different and interesting ways: As a simile for a Kondo-effect system where one quantum dot is used to "filter" the effect of the current leads, and as a way to study "pseudo-gapped" systems and correlations in them, which can help scientists understand structures such as superconductors.

“This last part is of great current interest to theorists and experimentalists who are exploring what are called quantum phase transitions, which are changes in systems that alter their behavior dramatically as a function of some parameter while remaining at zero (or very low) temperature,” said Sergio Ulloa, a professor of physics and astronomy at Ohio University.

The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, was conducted by Luis Dias da Silva, Nancy Sandler and Ulloa, all members of the Ohio University’s Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, and Kevin Ingersent of the University of Florida.


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Materials provided by Ohio University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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Ohio University. "Double Quantum Dots Control Kondo Effect In Nanoscience Study." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 September 2006. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060914181605.htm>.
Ohio University. (2006, September 16). Double Quantum Dots Control Kondo Effect In Nanoscience Study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060914181605.htm
Ohio University. "Double Quantum Dots Control Kondo Effect In Nanoscience Study." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060914181605.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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