Egger R, Grabert H, Koutouza A, Saleur H, Siano F
Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030 and Fakultat fur Physik, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Phys Rev Lett. 2000 Apr 17;84(16):3682-5. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.3682.
Nonequilibrium transport properties are determined exactly for an adiabatically contacted single-channel quantum wire containing one impurity. Employing the Luttinger liquid model with interaction parameter g, for very strong interactions g less, similar0.2, and sufficiently low temperatures, we find an S-shaped current-voltage relation. The unstable branch with negative differential conductance gives rise to current oscillations and hysteretic effects. These nonperturbative and nonlinear features appear only out of equilibrium.
