Temperature inhomogeneity in non-equilibrium field theory for electrons in a nanowire: Thermodynamic and transport properties

Abstract

A nanowire with its two ends fixed at two different temperatures by external baths is the simplest example of a fermionic system with a temperature inhomogeneity, and could be an easy platform to study thermodynamic and transport properties of a boundary-driven open quantum system. Starting with a temperature-dependent pseudo free energy derived from an exact reduced density matrix and assuming a small temperature gradient $\gamma$ across the wire, we show within perturbation theory that electron dispersion relation and therefore the Fermi distribution becomes $\gamma$ and space coordinates dependent, leading to non-linear effects of the temperature inhomogeneity. In particular, we show that in the non-linear response regime, the Widemann–Franz Law for the ratio of thermal and electrical conductivities is generalized, and that the thermopower increases with increasing temperature gradient $\gamma$.