arXiv subjects

Malay Bandyopadhyay

Publications and source records attributed to Malay Bandyopadhyay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Engineering Giant Thermoelectric Performance through Electrode-Coupling Geometry and Magnetic Flux in Quasiperiodic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Rings

We investigate coherent thermoelectric transport in magnetic-flux-threaded quasiperiodic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) rings with engineered multi-site electrode couplings using the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism within the Landauer-Büttiker framework. We demonstrate that the electrode-coupling geometry serves as a powerful control parameter for tailoring quantum interference, thereby reshaping the transmission spectrum and thermoelectric response. In the absence of magnetic flux, the trivial dimerized phase ($t_1>t_2$) exhibits the highest thermoelectric efficiency, with asymmetric coupling producing a substantially larger figure of merit than the symmetric geometry. Magnetic flux further reconstructs the transmission spectrum through Aharonov-Bohm interference, driving a crossover of the optimal thermoelectric regime from the trivial to the topological dimerized phase. Under optimal flux conditions, the thermoelectric figure of merit reaches $ZT \approx 12$ for symmetric coupling and is dramatically enhanced to $ZT \approx 90$ for asymmetric coupling through enhanced energy filtering and suppressed electronic thermal transport. We further establish a clear correlation between the enhancement of thermoelectric efficiency and the violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law. Our results demonstrate that the combined interplay of quasiperiodicity, topology, magnetic flux, and electrode-coupling geometry provides a versatile strategy for engineering high-performance coherent thermoelectric devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Giant Thermal Amplification via Engineered Dissipation in a Sierpinski-Gasket Aharonov-Bohm Interferometer

We propose a three-terminal thermal amplifier based on a Sierpinski-gasket Aharonov-Bohm interferometer, where the third (base) terminal is realized as a floating Buttiker probe that acts as an engineered dissipative reservoir, exchanging energy with the conductor while carrying no net charge current. Using the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism, we demonstrate that the interplay of quantum coherence and engineered dissipation gives rise to giant, magnetic-flux-controlled thermal amplification, whereas purely coherent transport exhibits little or no amplification. We show that the amplification originates from a flux-induced cancellation of the energy-resolved thermal response of the base terminal, causing its differential heat current to vanish while finite heat currents continue to flow through the emitter and collector terminals. As a result, the thermal gain diverges without requiring resonant transmission. This interference-driven cancellation gives rise to an emergent thermal transparency, closely analogous to electromagnetically induced transparency in optical systems, where destructive quantum interference suppresses the thermal response of the base reservoir while maintaining finite heat transport through the remaining terminals. Our results establish the interplay of engineered dissipation and quantum interference as a powerful mechanism for controlling heat flow and realizing high-performance thermal amplifiers in mesoscopic conductors.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Modeling the non-Markovian Brownian motion of an optomechanical resonator

We propose a representative, globally-admissible phenomenological spectral density of the bath for the non-Markovian Brownian motion of an optomechanical resonator, motivated by the near-resonance experimental observation of a non-Ohmic spectrum in [Nat. Commun. 6, 7606 (2015)]. To avoid divergences arising from a naive global extrapolation, we propose a globally-admissible, phenomenological bath spectrum that extends the experimentally-observed, near-resonance non-Ohmic behavior beyond the measurement window while ensuring finite bath-induced renormalizations and quadrature fluctuations of the resonator. The corresponding model of the structured environment produces a nonlocal mechanical response whose analytic pole structure encodes the observed linewidth. The resulting dissipation kernel exhibits a power-law-modulated exponential decay with transient negativity, signaling memory effects. In the weak-coupling regime, the optical readout based on homodyne detection enables near-resonance spectroscopy and, with a calibrated drive on the resonator, permits, in principle, the reconstruction of the full mechanical susceptibility, thereby providing access to both the dissipative and dispersive bath contributions. Our results provide a consistent route from locally-inferred spectral properties to globally-admissible open-system descriptions and establish a framework for probing structured environments in cavity optomechanics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Interplay of Electrode Coupling Engineering, Quasiperiodicity, and Magnetic Flux in Quantum Transport through a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Ring

We reveal that engineering electrode-coupling configurations can fundamentally reshape coherent transport phenomena in quasiperiodic quantum systems. Leveraging nonequilibrium Green's function theory, we systematically analyze charge and heat transport, as well as current fluctuations, in a magnetic-flux-threaded quasiperiodic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger ring with both symmetric and asymmetric multi-site reservoir couplings. Contrary to the conventional expectation that optimal transport is achieved near the homogeneous-hopping limit, our results reveal that multi-site lead coupling fundamentally reshapes the transport landscape, extending the regime of enhanced transport deep into the topological phase. Strikingly, asymmetric source-drain coupling induces a disorder-assisted conducting phase where quasiperiodic modulation enhances, rather than suppresses, charge and energy transport. Magnetic flux exerts a dual influence: it activates additional interference-mediated transmission channels that amplify transport while simultaneously suppressing the disorder-induced re-entrant conducting regime. Furthermore, we uncover a flux-driven migration of the optimal transport window with increasing disorder strength, shifting from the topological regime toward the trivial-hopping regime. This behavior highlights the intricate interplay among quasiperiodicity, dimerization, magnetic-flux-induced quantum interference, and the geometry of the system-reservoir coupling. Collectively, our findings position coupling engineering as a powerful paradigm for the rational control of nonequilibrium transport in quasiperiodic materials and chart a route toward quantum device configurations in which transport characteristics can be precisely tuned via the interplay of disorder, topology, and quantum interference.

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arXiv2026

Quantum geometry-driven photogalvanic responses in semi-Dirac systems

The photogalvanic effect (PGE), a fundamental nonlinear optical phenomenon in non-centrosymmetric materials, generates direct photocurrent under polarized light. Using quantum kinetic theory within the relaxation-time approximation, we theoretically investigate the PGE as a probe of quantum geometry in anisotropic type-I and type-II semi-Dirac (SD) systems, characterized by distinct electronic structures. We systematically analyse various microscopic contributions to the PGE conductivity, including injection, shift, resonance, higher-order pole, and anomalous terms, and emphasize their connections to different quantum geometric quantities, namely, Berry curvature, quantum metric, and metric connection. By studying the frequency and chemical-potential dependence of the PGE conductivity in SD systems, we find that the optical conductivities in the type-II case are significantly enhanced relative to those in type-I. For the circular PGE (CPGE), Berry-curvature-driven contributions remain qualitatively similar in both phases, whereas the linear PGE (LPGE) displays clear qualitative differences. In particular, the $xxx$ component of the shift conductivity in the type-II phase reverses sign upon tuning the perturbation parameter $δ$, providing a direct signature of the Lifshitz transition. In contrast, other components remain sign-invariant, as in type-I SD systems. These combined CPGE and LPGE signatures provide an unambiguous distinction between the two SD phases. The predicted effects, realizable in TiO$_2$/VO$_2$ heterostructures, establish PGE as a sensitive probe of quantum geometry with potential applications in polarization-selective photodetection, optical rectification, and next-generation optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Coherent control of thermoelectric performance via engineered transmission functions in multi-dot Aharonov-Bohm heat engine

We theoretically investigate strategies for harnessing quantum interference to optimize the figure of merit $ZT$, power output, and thermodynamic efficiency in multi-quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm (AB) thermoelectric heat engines. Using the non-equilibrium Green function formalism, we show that interference effects such as Fano-type asymmetries, Dicke-like superradiant and subradiant modes, and multi-peaked transmission spectra can be tailored through device geometry, magnetic flux, and dot-lead coupling to produce hybrid transmission profiles that combine Lorentzian, boxcar, and Fano lineshapes. Such engineered profiles enable configurations that balance the high efficiency of sharp Lorentzian resonances with the high power output of boxcar-like spectra, yielding near-optimal power-efficiency trade-offs. For symmetric quantum-dot arrays in square, pentagonal, and hexagonal configurations, we identify an optimal regime, $t/γ\approx 2$, where the interdot tunneling amplitude $t$ and the dot-lead coupling $γ$ yield the best balance of power and efficiency. A hexagonal six-dot configuration achieves $ZT \sim 30$ at dilution temperatures, while the four-dot geometry reaches about $76\%$ of Carnot efficiency with output power $4.74$ fW. We also find a direct correspondence between the high-$ZT$ regime and maximal violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law. Introducing source-drain coupling asymmetry further enhances both efficiency and power. A scaling analysis reveals that efficiency systematically increases with the number of quantum dots, whereas power output is maximized at intermediate system sizes. These findings establish coherent control in multi-dot nanostructures as a promising pathway toward high-performance quantum thermoelectric heat engines for ultralow-power electronics applications.

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arXiv2025

Two fluctuating interfaces with sticking interactions: Invariant measures and dynamics

We introduce and study a non-equilibrium stochastic model of two fluctuating interfaces which interact through short-range attractive interactions at their points of contact. Beginning from an entangled state, the system exhibits diverse dynamics -- ranging from fast transients with small lifetimes to ultraslow evolution through quasi-stationary states -- and reaches stuck, entangled, or detached steady states. Near the stuck-detached transition, two distinct dynamical modes of evolution co-occur. When the two surfaces evolve through similar dynamics (both Edwards-Wilkinson or both Kardar-Parisi-Zhang), the invariant measure is determined and found to have an inhomogeneous product form. This exact steady state is shown to be the measure of the equilibrium Poland-Scheraga model of DNA denaturation.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Thermoelectric performance of a minimally nonlinear voltage probe and voltage-temperature probe heat engine with broken time-reversal symmetry

We investigate the thermoelectric performance of minimally nonlinear irreversible heat engines with broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS), realized through voltage and voltage-temperature probe configurations. Our framework extends the Onsager relations by incorporating a nonlinear power dissipation term into the heat current. We derive and analyze analytical expressions for the efficiency at a given power and the efficiency at maximum power (EMP), expressed in terms of asymmetry parameters and generalized figures of merit. Our analysis reveals that the combined effects of broken TRS and nonlinear dissipation give rise to two universal bounds on the EMP that can surpass the Curzon-Ahlborn (CA) limit. Although these bounds share a similar analytical form, differences in Carnot efficiency and asymmetry parameters lead to distinct operational characteristics, as shown through numerical simulations. We consider a triple-quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm heat engine incorporating either a voltage probe or a voltage-temperature probe. In both cases, TRS is broken by the magnetic flux. However, the voltage-temperature probe requires an additional anisotropy in the system for its TRS-breaking effects to significantly influence transport. We examine the role of this anisotropy in enhancing performance. Our results show that the EMP and efficiency at a given power can be enhanced by increasing the strength of nonlinear power dissipation, even though the output power remains unchanged. The voltage probe configuration generally yields higher power, while the voltage-temperature probe is more efficient, except in certain regimes where large asymmetries and high figures of merit allow the voltage probe setup to outperform.

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arXiv2025

Stochastic thermodynamics and the Ericsson nano engine -- Efficiency from equilibrium results

In this work, we study an Ericsson cycle whose working substance is a charged (quantum) oscillator in a magnetic field that is coupled to a heat bath. The resulting quantum Langevin equations with built-in noise terms encapsulate a thermodynamic structure and allow for the computation of the efficiency of the cycle. We numerically compute the efficiency of the cycle in the quasi-static regime using the steady-state thermodynamic functions of the system. Interestingly, it is found that by increasing the system-bath coupling strength, the efficiency of the cycle can be tuned to a maximum. We also explore the behavior of the efficiency as a function of the pair of magnetic-field values between which the cycle is operated.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

A review on Aharonov-Bohm quantum machines: Thermoelectric heat engines and diodes

The study of heat-to-work conversion has gained significant attention in recent years, highlighting the potential of nanoscale systems to achieve energy conversion in steady-state devices without any macroscopic moving parts. This review examines the theoretical frameworks governing the steady-state flows of quantum particles like electrons, photons, and phonons within various mesoscopic or nanoscale devices, such as thermoelectric heat engines in the context of quantum dot Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometric configurations. Quantum interference effects hold great promise for enhancing the thermoelectric transport properties of such quantum devices by allowing more precise control over energy levels and transport pathways. Driven quantum dot AB networks can maintain quantum coherence and provide precise experimental control. Unlike bulk systems, nanoscale systems like quantum dots reveal distinct quantum interference phenomena, including sharp features in transmission spectra and Fano resonances. This review highlights the distinction between optimization methods that produce boxcar functions and coherent control methods that result in complex interference patterns. It reveals that the effective design of thermoelectric heat engines requires careful tailoring of quantum interference and the magnetic field-induced effects to enhance performance. We emphasize how magnetic fields can change the bounds of power or efficiency. These machines with broken time-reversal symmetry provide insights into directional dependencies and asymmetries in quantum transport. We offer a thorough overview of past and current research on quantum thermoelectric heat engines using the AB effect and present a detailed review of three-terminal AB heat engines, where broken time-reversal symmetry can induce a coherent diode effect. We cover bounds on power and efficiency in systems with broken time-reversal symmetry.

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arXiv2024

Independent-oscillator model and the quantum Langevin equation for an oscillator: A review

This review provides a brief and quick introduction to the quantum Langevin equation for an oscillator, while focusing on the steady-state thermodynamic aspects. A derivation of the quantum Langevin equation is carefully outlined based on the microscopic model of the heat bath as a collection of a large number of independent quantum oscillators, the so-called independent-oscillator model. This is followed by a discussion on the relevant `weak-coupling' limit. In the steady state, we analyze the quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem which has generated a considerable amount of interest in recent literature. The free energy, entropy, specific heat, and third law of thermodynamics are discussed for one-dimensional quantum Brownian motion in a harmonic well. Following this, we explore some aspects of dissipative diamagnetism in the context of quantum Brownian oscillators, emphasizing upon the role of confining potentials and also upon the environment-induced classical-quantum crossover. We discuss situations where the system-bath coupling is via the momentum variables by focusing on a gauge-invariant model of momentum-momentum coupling in the presence of a vector potential; for this problem, we derive the quantum Langevin equation and discuss quantum thermodynamic functions. Finally, the topic of fluctuation theorems is discussed (albeit, briefly) in the context of classical and quantum cyclotron motion of a particle coupled to a heat bath.

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arXiv2023

Quantum coherent control of nonlinear thermoelectric transport in a triple-dot Aharonov-Bohm heat engine

We investigate the role of quantum coherence and higher harmonics resulting from multiple-path interference in nonlinear thermoelectricity in a two-terminal triangular triple-dot Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer. We quantify the trade-off between efficiency and power in the nonlinear regime of our simple setup comprising three non-interacting quantum dots (two connected to two biased metallic reservoirs) placed at the vertex of an equilateral triangle, and a magnetic flux $Φ$ pierces it perpendicularly. For a spatially symmetric setup, we achieve optimal efficiency and power output when the inter-dot tunneling strength is comparable to the dot-lead coupling, AB phase $ϕ=π/2$. Our analysis reveals that the presence of higher harmonics is necessary but not sufficient to achieve optimal power output. The maximal constructive interference represented by three close-packed resonance peaks of the unit transmission can enhance the power output ($P_{max}\sim 2.35\,\mathrm{fW}$) almost 3.5 times as compared to the case where only a single channel participates in the transport, and the corresponding efficiency is about $0.80η_{c}$ where $η_{c}$ is the Carnot efficiency. Geometric asymmetries and their effects on efficiency and power output are also investigated. An asymmetric setup characterized by the ratio of the coupling to the source and the drain terminals ($x$) can further enhance the maximum power output $P_{max}\sim 3.85\,\mathrm{fW}$ for $x=1.5$ with the same efficiency as that of the symmetric case. Our investigation reveals that the output power and efficiency are optimal in the wide-band limit. The power output is significantly reduced for the narrow-band case. On the other hand, disorder effects radically reduce the performance of the heat engine.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Energetics of the dissipative quantum oscillator

In this paper, we discuss some aspects of the energetics of a quantum Brownian particle placed in a harmonic trap, also known as the dissipative quantum oscillator. Based on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we analyze two distinct notions of thermally-averaged energy that can be ascribed to the oscillator. These energy functions, respectively dubbed hereafter as the mean energy and the internal energy, are found to be unequal for arbitrary system-bath coupling strength, when the bath spectral function has a finite cutoff frequency, as in the case of a Drude bath. Remarkably, both the energy functions satisfy the quantum counterpart of the energy equipartition theorem, but with different probability distribution functions on the frequency domain of the heat bath. Moreover, the Gibbs approach to thermodynamics provides us with yet another thermally-averaged energy function. In the weak-coupling limit, all the above-mentioned energy expressions reduce to $ε= \frac{\hbar ω_0}{2} \coth \big(\frac{ \hbar ω_0}{2 k_B T}\big)$, which is the familiar result. We generalize our analysis to the case of the three-dimensional dissipative magneto-oscillator, i.e., when a charged dissipative oscillator is placed in a spatially-uniform magnetic field.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Partition of kinetic energy and magnetic moment in dissipative diamagnetism

In this paper, we analyze dissipative diamagnetism, arising due to dissipative cyclotron motion in two dimensions, in the light of the quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem. We consider a charged quantum particle moving in a harmonic well, in the presence of a uniform magnetic field, and coupled to a quantum heat bath which is taken to be composed of an infinite number of independent quantum oscillators. The quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem tells us that it is possible to express the mean kinetic energy of the dissipative oscillator as a two-fold average, where, the first averaging is performed over the Gibbs canonical state of the heat bath while the second one is governed by a probability distribution function $P_k(ω)$. We analyze this result further, and also demonstrate its consistency in the weak-coupling limit. Following this, we compute the equilibrium magnetic moment of the system, and reveal an interesting connection with the quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem. The expressions for kinetic energy and magnetic moment are reformulated in the context of superstatistics, i.e. the superposition of two statistics. A comparative study of the present results with those obtained from the more traditional Gibbs approach is performed and a perfect agreement is obtained.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Quantum dissipation and the virial theorem

In this note, we study the celebrated virial theorem for dissipative systems, both classical and quantum. The classical formulation is discussed and an intriguing effect of the random force (noise) is made explicit in the context of the virial theorem. Subsequently, we derive a generalized virial theorem for a dissipative quantum oscillator, i.e. a quantum oscillator coupled with a quantum heat bath. Such a heat bath is modeled as an infinite collection of independent quantum oscillators with a certain distribution of initial conditions. In this situation, the non-Markovian nature of the quantum noise leads to novel bath-induced terms in the virial theorem. We also consider the case of an electrical circuit with thermal noise and analyze the role of non-Markovian noise in the context of the virial theorem.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Microscopic analysis of relaxation behavior in nonlinear optical conductivity of graphene

We present here a general formulation for the interband dynamical optical conductivity in the nonlinear regime of graphene in the presence of a quantum bath comprising phonons and electrons. Our main focus is the relaxation behavior of the quantum solid of graphene perturbed by an oscillatory electric field. Considering the optical range of the frequency and a considerable amount of the amplitude of the field, one can observe a nonlinear response by formulating a quantum master equation of the density operator associated with the Hamiltonian encapsulated in the form of a spin-Boson model of dissipative quantum statistical mechanics. Mapping the valence and conduction states as the eigenstates of the Pauli spin operators and utilizing the rotating wave approximation to omit off-resonant terms, one can solve the rate equation for the mean population of the conduction and valence states and the mixing matrix elements between them. Our results reveal the nonlinear steady-state regime's population inversion and interband coherence. It is characterized by a single dimensionless parameter that is directly proportional to the incident field strength and inversely proportional to the optical frequency. Our method is also capable of calculating the nonlinear interband optical conductivity of doped and gapped graphene at finite temperatures. The effects of different bath spectra for phonons and electrons are examined in detail. Although our general formulation can address a variety of nonequilibrium response of the two-band system, it also facilitates a connection with phenomenological modeling of nonlinear optical conductivity.

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arXiv2022

Partition of free energy for a Brownian quantum oscillator: Effect of dissipation and magnetic field

Recently, the quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem has drawn considerable attention. Motivated by this, we formulate and investigate an analogous statement for the free energy of a quantum oscillator linearly coupled to a passive heat bath consisting of an infinite number of independent harmonic oscillators. We explicitly demonstrate that the free energy of the Brownian oscillator can be expressed in the form $F(T) = \langle f(ω,T) \rangle $ where $f(ω,T)$ is the free energy of an individual bath oscillator. The overall averaging process involves two distinct averages: the first one is over the canonical ensemble for the bath oscillators, whereas the second one signifies averaging over the entire bath spectrum of frequencies from zero to infinity. The latter is performed over a relevant probability distribution function $\mathcal{P}(ω)$ which can be derived from the knowledge of the generalized susceptibility encountered in linear response theory. The effect of different dissipation mechanisms is also exhibited. We find two remarkable consequences of our results. First, the quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem follows naturally from our analysis. The second corollary we obtain is a natural derivation of the third law of thermodynamics for open quantum systems. Finally, we generalize the formalism to three spatial dimensions in the presence of an external magnetic field.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2022

Quantum counterpart of energy equipartition theorem for fermionic systems

In this brief report, following the recent developments on formulating a quantum analogue of the classical energy equipartition theorem for open systems where the heat bath comprises of independent oscillators, i.e. bosonic degrees of freedom, we present an analogous result for fermionic systems. The most general case where the system is connected to multiple reservoirs is considered and the mean energy in the steady state is expressed as an integral over the reservoir frequencies. Physically this would correspond to summing over the contributions of the bath degrees of freedom to the mean energy of the system over a suitable distribution function $ρ(ω)$ dependent on the system parameters. This result holds for nonequilibrium steady states, even in the nonlinear regime far from equilibrium. We also analyze the zero temperature behaviour and low temperature corrections to the mean energy of the system.

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