Nonreciprocal conductance in uniformly dissipative devices

Abstract

When studying non-Hermitian electronic systems, an obvious question is how various non-Hermitian effects affect measurable quantities like the conductance. Here, we show that uniformly dissipative circuits can exhibit nonreciprocal conductance, meaning that the two nonlocal conductances are different. We describe how this happens through a difference in transmission times between left-moving and right-moving electrons. We consider a specific case of a dissipative Rashba nanowire with a skewed magnetic field, and show how this difference in transmission times comes about through interference inside the circuit, and how this is modified as the dissipation strength changes.