Eur. Phys. J. B (2013) 86: 345
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2013-40417-4

Regular Article

Bosonic transport through a chain of quantum dots

Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 19, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

^a e-mail: ivanov@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de

Received: 19 April 2013
Received in final form: 11 June 2013
Published online: 5 August 2013

Abstract

The particle transport through a chain of quantum dots coupled to two bosonic reservoirs is studied. For the case of reservoirs of non-interacting bosonic particles, we derive an exact set of stochastic differential equations, whose memory kernels and driving noise are characterised entirely by the properties of the reservoirs. Going to the Markovian limit an analytically solvable case is presented. The effect of interparticle interactions on the transient behaviour of the system, when both reservoirs are instantaneously coupled to an empty chain of quantum dots, is approximated by a semiclassical method, known as the Truncated Wigner approximation. The steady-state particle flow through the chain and the mean particle occupations are explained via the spectral properties of the interacting system.