| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 35, Number 7, September I 1996
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 523 - 528 | |
| Section | Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic and optical properties | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i1996-00145-8 | |
| Published online | 01 September 2002 | |
Gauge-invariant nonlinear electric transport in mesoscopic conductors
1
Département de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève, 24 Quai
Ernest-Ansermet, CH-1211 Genève, Switzerland
2
Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa
Barbara, CA 93106-4030, USA
Received:
10
April
1996
Accepted:
8
July
1996
We use the scattering approach to investigate the nonlinear current-voltage characteristics of mesoscopic conductors. We discuss the leading nonlinearity by taking into account the self-consistent nonequilibrium potential. We emphasize conservation of the overall charge and current and the invariance under a global voltage shift (gauge invariance). As examples, we discuss the rectification coefficient of a quantum point contact and the nonlinear current-voltage characteristic of a resonant level in a double-barrier structure.
PACS: 72.20.Ht – High-field and nonlinear effects / 73.40.Ei – Rectification / 73.40.Gk – Tunneling
© EDP Sciences, 1996
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