Spontaneous symmetry breaking of nano-electromechanical shuttle due to collisions

Abstract

We present a theoretical framework for charge transport in driven nano-electromechanical shuttles undergoing hard-wall collisions. The interplay between collisions and electric transport leads to a novel synchronization phenomenon in the shuttle dynamics. Our analysis reveals that the oscillation period increases by an integer multiple of the collision-free period, with trajectories transitioning to chaotic regimes under stronger external forces. Furthermore, rectified symmetry-breaking currents are generated when the integer multiplier is even, showing discontinuous behavior as a function of external parameters.