Background: Soft nanosystems are electronic nanodevices, such as suspended carbon nanotubes or molecular junctions, whose transport properties are modulated by soft internal degrees of freedom, for example slow vibrational modes. Effects of the electron-vibration coupling on the charge and heat transport of soft nanoscopic systems are theoretically investigated in the presence of time-dependent perturbations, such as a forcing antenna or pumping terms between the leads and the nanosystem. A well-established approach valid for non-equilibrium adiabatic regimes is generalized to the case where external time-dependent perturbations are present. Then, a number of relevant applications of the method are reviewed for systems composed by a quantum dot (or molecule) described by a single electronic level coupled to a vibrational mode.
Results: Before introducing time-dependent perturbations, the range of validity of the adiabatic approach is discussed showing that a very good agreement with the results of an exact quantum calculation is obtained in the limit of low level occupation. Then, we show that the interplay between the low frequency vibrational modes and the electronic degrees of freedom affects the thermoelectric properties within the linear response regime finding out that the phonon thermal conductance provides an important contribution to the figure of merit at room temperature. Our work has been stimulated by recent experimental results on carbon nanotube electromechanical devices working in the semiclassical regime (resonator frequencies in the megahertz range compared to an electronic hopping frequency of the order of tens of gigahertz) with extremely high quality factors. The nonlinear vibrational regime induced by the external antenna in such systems has been discussed within the non-perturbative adiabatic approach reproducing quantitatively the characteristic asymmetric shape of the current-frequency curves. Within the same set-up, we have proved that the antenna is able to pump sufficient charge close to the mechanical resonance making single-parameter adiabatic charge pumping feasible in carbon nanotube resonators. The pumping mechanism that we observe is different from that acting in the two parameter pumping and, instead, it is based on an important dynamic adjustment of the mechanical motion of the nanotube to the external drive in the weakly nonlinear regime. Finally, stochastic forces induced by quantum and thermal fluctuations due to the electron charging of the quantum dot are shown to affect in a significant way a Thouless charge pump realized with an elastically deformable quantum dot. In this case, the pumping mechanism is also shown to be magnified when the frequency of the external drive is resonant with the proper frequency of the deformable quantum dot. In this regime, the pumping current is not strongly reduced by the temperature, giving a measurable effect.
Conclusion: Aim of this review has been to discuss common features of different soft nanosystems under external drive. The most interesting effects induced by time-dependent perturbations are obtained when the external forcing is nearly resonant with the slow vibrational modes. Indeed, not only the external forcing can enhance the electronic response, but it also induces nonlinear regimes where the interplay between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom plays a major role.
Keywords: electronic charge quantum pumping; electronic transport theory; nanoelectromechanical systems; thermoelectric properties; time-dependent perturbations.