title: Mesoscopic charge relaxation.
abstract: We consider charge relaxation in the mesoscopic equivalent of an RC circuit. For a single-channel, spin-polarized contact, self-consistent scattering theory predicts a universal charge relaxation resistance equal to half a resistance quantum independent of the transmission properties of the contact. This prediction is in good agreement with recent experimental results. We use a tunneling Hamiltonian formalism and show in Hartree-Fock approximation that at zero temperature the charge relaxation resistance is universal even in the presence of Coulomb blockade effects. We explore departures from universality as a function of temperature and magnetic field.
authors.affiliation: Département de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nigg
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Büttiker