Quantum current magnification in a multi-channel mesoscopic ring

Abstract

We have studied the current magnification effect in a multi-channel open mesoscopic ring. We show that the current magnification effect is robust even in the presence of several propagating modes inspite of mode mixing and cancellation effects. The magnitude of circulating currents in the multi-channel regime can be much larger than that in a single channel case. Impurities can enhance or degrade the current magnification effect depending sensitively on the system parameters. Circulating currents are mostly associated with Fano resonances in the total transport current. We further show that system-lead coupling qualitatively changes the current magnification effect.