Microscopic model of a phononic refrigerator

ARRACHEA, L.; MUCCIOLO, E; CHAMON, C; CAPAZ, R

PHYSICAL REVIEW B

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012 vol. 86 p. 125424 - 125436

1098-0121

We analyze a simple microscopic model to pump heat from a cold to a hot reservoir in a nanomechanical system. The model consists of a one-dimensional chain of masses and springs coupled to a back gate through which a time-dependent perturbation is applied. The action of the gate creates a moving phononic barrier by locally pinning a mass. We solve the problem numerically using a nonequilibrium Green's function technique. For low driving frequencies and for sharp traveling barriers, we show that this microscopic model realizes a phonon refrigerator.