Nonequilibrium mesoscopic transport: a genealogy

TL;DR

This paper reviews the fundamental principles of nonequilibrium quantum transport in mesoscopic systems, emphasizing microscopic conservation and dissipation, and discusses their importance in the design of atomic-scale electronic devices.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the origins, theoretical framework, and significance of conservation laws and dissipation in mesoscopic quantum transport.

Findings

Conservation laws are fundamental in mesoscopic quantum transport.

Dissipation mechanisms become more explicit at atomic scales.

Understanding these principles aids in designing nanoscale electronic devices.

Abstract

Models of nonequilibrium quantum transport underpin all modern electronic devices, from the largest scales to the smallest. Past simplifications such as coarse graining and bulk self-averaging served well to understand electronic materials. Such particular notions become inapplicable at mesoscopic dimensions, edging towards the truly quantum regime. Nevertheless a unifying thread continues to run through transport physics, animating the design of small-scale electronic technology: microscopic conservation and nonequilibrium dissipation. These fundamentals are inherent in quantum transport and gain even greater and more explicit experimental meaning in the passage to atomic-sized devices. We review their genesis, their theoretical context, and their governing role in the electronic response of meso- and nanoscopic systems.