Cooling of mechanical vibrations by heat flow

• We theoretically consider a nanomechanical link between two metallic leads subject to a temperature drop. It is shown that mechanical dynamics of such system can be strongly affected by a heat flow through it via the position dependent electron-electron interaction, even though the electronic transport between leads is blocked. In particular, it is demonstrated that, under certain conditions, the stationary distribution of the excitations in the mechanical subsystem has a Boltzmann form with an effective temperature, which is much lower than the temperature of the environment; this seems rather counterintuitive. We also find that a change in the direction of the temperature gradient can result in the generation of mechanical vibrations rather than the heating of the mechanical subsystem.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Nanoelectromechanical system

Heat flow

Wigner distribution function

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)