Transport in nanoscale conductors subjected to slow responsive environment

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Mario Einax
• Subject Area: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics ; Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: Funded in 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 166038299

It is planned to investigate nano-size conductors, where, in dependence of the population and associated polarization, polaron formation takes place on time scales, comparable to those characterizing the electronic transport. In molecular electronics this situation can occur in redox molecular junctions. The focus will lie on the incoherent hopping transport limit, which is of particular relevance for this problem. Ionic transport through membrane channels can have similar characteristics. To this end we model the kinetics on the basis of a master equation approach with time-dependent transition rates whose time evolution depends on site occupation. We expect that such approach will capture most of the relevant phenomenology both in quantum and classical transport. Future plans for further work on quantum aspects of this problem will be outlined.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Israel
• Host: Professor Abraham Nitzan