Kick-induced rectified current in a symmetric nanoelectromechanical shuttle

Abstract

© 2021 American Physical Society.We have studied rectified current in a geometrically symmetric nanoelectromechanical shuttle with periodic kicks and sinusoidal ac bias voltages. The rectified current is exactly zero under the geometrical symmetry generated by electrons transferring from source to drain electrodes via the movable shuttle. We investigate nonzero rectified currents through the regular motion of the shuttle in which the time-translational symmetry is broken. The motion of the shuttle, moreover, becomes chaotic with the same mechanism as a kicked rotor and generates a scattered current with increasing kick strength. We point out that the time-translational symmetry breaking of the instantaneous current has an important role in the manipulation of the rectified current.