Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid
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Rectification of laser-induced electronic transport through molecules

Jörg Lehmann, Sigmund Kohler, Peter Hänggi, and Abraham Nitzan
J. Chem. Phys. 118, 3283 (2003)

We study the influence of laser radiation on the electron transport through a molecular wire weakly coupled to two leads. In the absence of a generalized parity symmetry, the molecule rectifies the laser induced current, resulting in directed electron transport without any applied voltage. We consider two generic ways of dynamical symmetry breaking: mixing of different harmonics of the laser field and molecules consisting of asymmetric groups. For the evaluation of the nonlinear current, a numerically efficient formalism is derived which is based upon the Floquet solutions of the driven molecule. This permits a treatment in the non-adiabatic regime and beyond linear response.
arXiv:cond-mat/0208404

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last modified: 7.9.2024 by Sigmund Kohler