Theory of AC quantum transport with fully electrodynamic coupling

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simulation approach combining AC NEGF with Maxwell's equations to accurately model quantum charge transport and electromagnetic fields in nanoscale devices, revealing quantum effects on antenna radiation patterns.

Contribution

The authors develop a self-consistent simulation method coupling AC NEGF with full Maxwell's equations, enabling detailed quantum electrodynamic modeling of high-frequency nanoscale devices.

Findings

Quantum quarter-wave antenna shows no directivity gain over classical predictions.

Quantum wave functions significantly alter charge and current distributions.

Radiation patterns differ markedly from classical expectations due to quantum effects.

Abstract

With the continued scaling of microelectronic devices along with the growing demand of high-speed wireless telecommunications technologies, there is increasing need for high-frequency device modeling techniques that accurately capture the quantum mechanical nature of charge transport in nanoscale devices along with the dynamic fields that are generated. In an effort to fill this gap, we develop a simulation methodology that self-consistently couples AC non-equilibrium Green functions (NEGF) with the full solution of Maxwell's equations in the frequency domain. We apply this technique to simulate radiation from a quantum-confined, quarter-wave, monopole antenna where the length $L$ is equal to one quarter of the wavelength, $\lambda_0$. Classically, such an antenna would have a narrower, more directed radiation pattern compared to one with $L \ll \lambda_0$, but we find that a quantum quarter-wave antenna has no directivity gain compared to the classical solution. We observe that the quantized wave function within the antenna significantly alter the charge and current density distribution along the length of the wire, which in turn modifies the far-field radiation pattern from the antenna. These results show that high-frequency radiation from quantum systems can be markedly different from classical expectations. Our method, therefore, will enable accurate modeling of the next generation of high-speed nanoscale electronic devices.