Spin-dependent signatures of Majorana modes in thermoelectric transport through double quantum dots
Piotr Majek, Ireneusz Weymann
Published: 2025/9/17
Abstract
We present a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the spin-dependent thermoelectric properties of a double quantum dot system coupled to a topological superconducting nanowire and ferromagnetic leads. The study focuses on the behavior of the Seebeck coefficient and its spin-resolved counterparts, with calculations performed by means of the numerical renormalization group method. We investigate the low-temperature transport regime, where a complex interplay between the two-stage Kondo effect, the ferromagnet-induced exchange field, and the Majorana coupling occurs. We demonstrate that thermoelectric measurements can reveal unique signatures of the Majorana interaction that are challenging to isolate in conductance measurements alone. It is shown that the exchange field fundamentally alters the thermoelectric response, leading to a rich, non-monotonic temperature evolution of the thermopower, which is driven by a temperature-dependent competition between the spin channels. Furthermore, we have identified qualitatively different regimes of spin thermopower generation, controlled by the interplay between the Majorana-induced asymmetry and the spin polarization of the leads. Finally, by connecting the system's thermoelectric response to the underlying transport asymmetries quantified by the conductance spin polarization, we provide a consistent and unified physical picture, proposing thermoelectric transport as a sensitive probe for Majorana signatures.