Engineering energy transport

WHAT IS IT?
One of the major problems in reachining and mantaining quantum properties in sold-state devices is their heating due to different sources such as the coupling to the external environment or other quantum systems. It is therefore important to understand how energy flows in quantum systems and most importantly to understand how to control the flow of energy in order to direct it away from the wanted device. There is also another possibility, perhpas more futuristic, but in principle feasible; it amounts to use the currents of energy similarly to electronic ones and temperature differences similarly to voltages in electronic circuits to perform calculations and build a heat-flow based circuitry which is able to perform calculations. One application of thiis idea could be to use heat as a resource and not just as a waste to get rid of as it is currently done in the majority of electronic devices therefore improving their overall efficiency.
OUR RESEARCH
We study the transport properties of different many-body quantum systems with the aim of fiinding designs in which charge (mass) and energy currents can be controlled separatly. 
The prototype system we have in mind is made of a central many-body quantum system with interacting particles which is coupled to other quantum systems with which it can exchange particles and / or energy. Specifically we look at the role of the interplay between many-body interactions, type of the coupling with the external leads and the geometry of the system.
A particular focus is on the transport properties of aperiodic deterministic structures such as quasicrystals, but even more general ones. Our aim is to exploit the unusual properties of these structure to design devices showing strong rectification of both charge and energy currents which can be changed dynamically. Another important research line focuses on the transport of heat in systems of superconducting qubits in order to achieve local cooling; we collaborate in close connection with other groups within the Quantum Technology Finland Centre of Excellence.
REFERENCES
  • J. Settino, N. W. Talarico, F. Cosco, F. Plastina, S. Maniscalco, N. Lo Gullo: Disentangling the role of geometry and interaction in many-body system dynamics: the emergence of anomalous dynamics from the underlying singular continuous spectrum. [arXiv].
  • C. V. Ambarish, N. Lo Gullo, Th. Busch, L. Dell’Anna, C. M. Chandrashekar: Dynamics and energy spectra of aperiodic discrete-time quantum walks. Phys. Rev. E 96, 012111 (2017) [arXiv].
  • A. Alecce, F. Galve, N. Lo Gullo, L. Dell’Anna, F. Plastina, R. Zambrini: Quantum Otto cycle with inner friction: finite-time and disorder effects. New J. Phys. 17, 075007 (2015) [arXiv].
COLLABORATIONS
  • Jukka Pekola (Aalto University)
  • Sorin Paraoanu (Aalto University)
  • Tapio Ala-Nissila (Aalto University)
  • Mikko Möttönen (Aalto University)
CONTACT PERSONS
Dr. Nicola Lo Gullo