Adiabaticity in semiclassical nanoelectromechanical systems

Understand

We compare the semiclassical description of NEMS within and beyond the adiabatic approximation.

• We consider a NEMS model which contains a single phonon (oscillator) mode linearly coupled to an electronic few-level system in contact with external particle reservoirs (leads).
• Using Feynman-Vernon influence functional theory, we derive a Langevin equation for the oscillator trajectory that is non-perturbative in the system-leads coupling.
• A stationary electronic current through the system generates nontrivial dynamical behavior of the oscillator, even in the adiabatic regime.