Resonant Spectrum Analysis of the Conductance of an Open Quantum System and Three Types of Fano Parameter

Abstract

We explain the Fano peak (an asymmetric resonance peak) as an interference effect involving resonant states. We reveal that there are three types of Fano asymmetry according to their origins: the interference between a resonant state and an anti-resonant state, that between a resonant state and a bound state, and that between two resonant states. We show that the last two show the asymmetric energy dependence given by Fano, but the first one shows a slightly different form. In order to show the above, we analytically and microscopically derive a formula where we express the conductance purely in terms of the summation over all discrete eigenstates including resonant states and anti-resonant states, without any background integrals. We thereby obtain microscopic expressions of the Fano parameters that describe the three types of the Fano asymmetry. One of the expressions indicate that the corresponding Fano parameter becomes complex under an external magnetic field.