Thermal effects on photon-induced quantum transport in a single quantum dot.
We theoretically investigate laser induced quantum transport in a single quantum dot attached to electrical contacts. Our approach, based on a nonequilibrium Green function technique, allows us to include thermal effects on the photon-induced quantum transport and excitonic dynamics, enabling the study of non-Markovian effects. By solving a set of coupled integrodifferential equations, involving correlation and propagator functions, we obtain the photocurrent and the dot occupation as a function of time. Two distinct sources of decoherence, namely, incoherent tunneling and thermal fluctuations, are observed in the Rabi oscillations. As temperature increases, a thermally activated Pauli blockade results in a suppression of these oscillations. Additionally, the interplay between photon and thermally induced electron populations results in a switch of the current sign as time evolves and its stationary value can be maximized by tuning the laser intensity.