Conservation, Dissipation, and Ballistics: Mesoscopic Physics beyond the Landauer-Buettiker Theory

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the Landauer-Buettiker model of mesoscopic physics, emphasizing the importance of conservation principles and using noise measurements in quantum point contacts to highlight fundamental issues.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic application of conserving sum rules to mesoscopic conduction, challenging the traditional phenomenological approach.

Findings

Conservation principles are crucial for understanding mesoscopic transport.

Noise measurements in quantum point contacts reveal fundamental conservation issues.

The standard Landauer-Buettiker model may overlook essential microscopic conservation laws.

Abstract

The standard physical model of contemporary mesoscopic noise and transport consists in a phenomenologically based approach, proposed originally by Landauer and since continued and amplified by Buettiker (and others). Throughout all the years of its gestation and growth, it is surprising that the Landauer-Buettiker approach to mesoscopics has matured with scant attention to the conservation properties lying at its roots: that is, at the level of actual microscopic principles. We systematically apply the conserving sum rules for the electron gas to clarify this fundamental issue within the standard phenomenology of mesoscopic conduction. Noise, as observed in quantum point contacts, provides the vital clue.