Keldysh-Green function formalism for current profiles in mesoscopic systems

Alessandro Cresti, Riccardo Farchioni, Giuseppe Grosso, and Giuseppe Pastori Parravicini
Phys. Rev. B 68, 075306 – Published 14 August 2003
PDFExport Citation

Abstract

We provide a general procedure for the description and evaluation of the current distribution in mesoscopic quantum wires. Our approach is based on the Keldysh-Green function formalism of nonequilibrium quantum statistical mechanics and exploits the real-space renormalization method within the tight-binding framework. We obtain a detailed spatial description of the microscopic currents between any couple of sites of the system, both in the presence and in the absence of time-reversal symmetry. As an application we present current profiles for a disordered quantum wire in the regime of universal conductance fluctuations, and we illustrate the random path of the current flow also in the presence of a magnetic field.

  • Received 12 December 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.075306

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Alessandro Cresti, Riccardo Farchioni, and Giuseppe Grosso

  • NEST-INFM and Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Fermi,” Università di Pisa, Via Buonarroti 2, I-56127 Pisa, Italy

Giuseppe Pastori Parravicini

  • NEST-INFM and Dipartimento di Fisica “A. Volta,” Università di Pavia, Via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia, Italy

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 68, Iss. 7 — 15 August 2003

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review B

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×