AC transport with reservoirs of finite width

TL;DR

This paper calculates the linear response conductance of a quantum microstructure with finite-width reservoirs, revealing how inelastic scattering and magnetic fields influence transport properties at finite frequency.

Contribution

It introduces a scattering approach for finite-width reservoirs at finite frequency, including effects of inelastic scattering and magnetic fields on conductance.

Findings

Inelastic scattering enhances contribution of high group velocity subbands.

Finite frequency and magnetic fields introduce phase-sensitive correction terms.

Conductance depends on subband velocities and phase of the scattering matrix.

Abstract

The linear response conductance coefficients are calculated in the scattering approach at finite frequency, damping and magnetic field for a microstructure in which the reservoirs are modeled as quantum wire leads of infinite length but finite width. Independently of frequency, inelastic scattering causes subbands with large group velocity to contribute more strongly to the conductance than channels of comparable transmission but slower propagation. At finite frequency and magnetic fields, additional correction terms appear, some of which are sensitive to the phase of the S matrix.