Current characteristics of a one-dimensional Hubbard chain: The role of correlation and dissipation

Abstract

We study the electronic transport in an infinite one-dimensional Hubbard chain, driven by a homogeneous electric field. The physical chain is coupled to fermion bath chains, in order to account for dissipation and to prevent the occurrence of Bloch Oscillations. The steady state current is computed in the frame of Keldysh Green's functions in Cluster Perturbation Theory. The current characteristics are dominated by resonant-tunneling-like structures, which can be traced back to Wannier-Stark resonances due to anti-ferromagnetic correlations. The same current characteristic occurs in a non-interacting Wannier-Stark model with alternating on-site energies. Non-local effects of the self energy can be accounted for the observed physical behaviour.