Size effects in the long-time quasi-static heat transport

Abstract: We consider finite size effects on heat transfer between thermal reservoirs mediated by a quantum system, where the number of modes in each reservoir is finite. Our approach is based on the generalized quantum Langevin equation and the thermal reservoirs are described as ensembles of oscillators within the Drude-Ullersma model. A general expression for the heat current between the thermal reservoirs in the long-time quasi-static regime, when an observation time is of the order of $\Delta ^{-1}$ and $\Delta$ is the mode spacing constant of a thermal reservoir, is obtained. The resulting equations that govern the long-time relaxation for the mode temperatures and the average temperatures of the reservoirs are derived and approximate analytical solutions are found.