Current bistability and hysteresis in strongly correlated quantum wires

Nonequilibrium transport properties are determined exactly for an adiabatically contacted single-channel quantum wire containing one impurity. Employing the Luttinger liquid model with interaction parameter g , for very strong interactions g(less-or-similar sign)0.2 , and sufficiently low temperatures, we find an S-shaped current-voltage relation. The unstable branch with negative differential conductance gives rise to current oscillations and hysteretic effects. These nonperturbative and nonlinear features appear only out of equilibrium. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.