Rectification in Mott-insulator p-n junctions

AC currents are typically rectified by semiconducting p-n junctions. Here, we theoretically explore the possibility of realizing a rectifier based on a doped Mott-insulator p-n junction. First, we obtain the time dependence of a dissipationless Mott p-n junction along one-dimensional chains modeled by a Hubbard model and an extended Hubbard model. We numerically integrate the many-body Schrodinger equation in time and show that rectification only occurs when both Coulomb repulsion and inversion symmetry breaking are simultaneously present. We then show how rectification is also captured when the Hubbard interaction is treated within a time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) approximation. Finally, we analyze the effect of dissipation in the Mott p-n junction by combining the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) approximation with the Lindblad equation. This permits investigation of the transport properties of realistic three-dimensional junctions that can be compared to experimental observations.