Strongly correlated zero-bias anomaly in double quantum dot measurements

Experiments in doped transition metal oxides often show suppression in the single-particle density of states at the Fermi level, but disorder-induced zero-bias anomalies in strongly correlated systems remain poorly understood. Numerical studies of the Anderson-Hubbard model have identified a zero-bias anomaly that is unique to strongly correlated materials, with a width proportional to the intersite hopping amplitude t [PRL 101, 086401 (2008)]. In ensembles of two-site systems, a zero-bias anomaly with the same parameter dependence also occurs, suggesting a similar physical origin [PRB 82, 073107 (2010)]. We describe how this kinetic-energy-driven zero-bias anomaly in ensembles of two-site systems may be seen in a mesoscopic realization based on double quantum dots. Moreover, the double-quantum-dot measurements provide access not only to the ensemble-average density of states but also to the details of the transitions which give rise to the zero-bias anomaly.