title: Current bistability and hysteresis in strongly correlated quantum wires
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030 and Fakultat fur Physik, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grabert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutouza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saleur
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Siano