A microscopic theory for the description of quantum-transport phenomena in systems with open boundaries is proposed. We shall show that the application of the conventional Wigner-function formalism to this problem leads to unphysical results, such as injection of coherent electronic states from the contacts. To overcome such basic limitation, we propose a generalization of the standard Wigner-function formulation, able to properly describe the incoherent nature of carrier injection at the device spatial boundaries as well as the interplay between phase coherence and energy relaxation/dephasing within the device active region. The proposed theoretical scheme constitutes a quantum-mechanical derivation of the phenomenological injection model commonly employed in the simulation of open quantum devices.

On the problem of generalizing the semiconductor Bloch equations from a closed to an open system / PROIETTI ZACCARIA, R.; Rossi, Fausto. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW. B, CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS. - ISSN 1098-0121. - 67:11(2003), pp. 113311-1-113311-4. [10.1103/PhysRevB.67.113311]

On the problem of generalizing the semiconductor Bloch equations from a closed to an open system

ROSSI, FAUSTO
2003

Abstract

A microscopic theory for the description of quantum-transport phenomena in systems with open boundaries is proposed. We shall show that the application of the conventional Wigner-function formalism to this problem leads to unphysical results, such as injection of coherent electronic states from the contacts. To overcome such basic limitation, we propose a generalization of the standard Wigner-function formulation, able to properly describe the incoherent nature of carrier injection at the device spatial boundaries as well as the interplay between phase coherence and energy relaxation/dephasing within the device active region. The proposed theoretical scheme constitutes a quantum-mechanical derivation of the phenomenological injection model commonly employed in the simulation of open quantum devices.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11583/1405258
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