Mesoscopic transport beyond linear response

TL;DR

This paper introduces a maximum entropy-based approach to mesoscopic transport that extends beyond linear response, explaining quantum Hall quantization at high currents and predicting novel non-local resistance behaviors with dirty contacts.

Contribution

It develops a non-linear response framework for mesoscopic transport using maximum entropy principles, explaining quantum Hall effects and predicting new phenomena.

Findings

Quantization in the integer quantum Hall effect at large currents

Prediction of non-local resistance behaviors with dirty contacts

Extension of transport theory beyond linear response

Abstract

We present an approach to steady-state mesoscopic transport based on the maximum entropy principle formulation of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Our approach is not limited to the linear response regime. We show that this approach yields the quantization observed in the integer quantum Hall effect at large currents, which until now has been unexplained. We also predict new behaviors of non-local resistances at large currents in the presence of dirty contacts.