Interference-induced thermoelectric switching and heat rectification in quantum Hall junctions

Interference represents one of the most striking manifestations of quantum physics in low-dimensional systems. Despite evidence of quantum interference in charge transport having been known for a long time, signatures of interference-induced thermal properties have been reported only recently, paving the way for the phase-coherent manipulation of heat in mesoscopic devices. In this work we show that anomalous thermoelectric properties and efficient heat rectification can be achieved by exploiting the phase-coherent edge states of quantum Hall systems. By considering a tunneling geometry with multiple quantum point contacts, we demonstrate that the interference paths effectively break the electron-hole symmetry, allowing for a thermoelectric charge current flowing either from hot to cold or vice versa, depending on the details of the tunnel junction. Correspondingly, an interference-induced heat current is predicted, and we are able to explain these results in terms of an intuitive physical picture. Moreover, we show that heat rectification can be achieved by coupling two quantum Hall systems with different filling factors, and that this effect can be enhanced by exploiting the interference properties of the tunnel junction.