Transport properties of quantum wires

Electron transport in Luttinger liquids connected by tunnel barriers is reviewed. The non-analytic temperature behavior of the conductance of a single tunnel barrier is derived. An overview of charge and spin transport properties through a one-dimensional quantum dot formed by two impurities is given. The temperature and voltage dependences of conductance peaks reveal the non-Fermi liquid correlations. Several spin effects in the linear as well as non-linear transport are predicted. These include a parity effect in linear transport which is due to the Pauli exclusion principle, and negative differential conductances in non-linear transport. The latter are due to charge and spin selection rules and non-Fermi liquid correlations which lead to correlation-induced trapping of higher-spin states. The possibility for experimental verification of this novel effect is discussed.