| Issue |
EPL
Volume 89, Number 5, March 2010
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 57007 | |
| Number of page(s) | 6 | |
| Section | Condensed Matter: Electronic Structure, Electrical, Magnetic and Optical Properties | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/89/57007 | |
| Published online | 26 March 2010 | |
Nonequilibrium distribution function and generalized hydrodynamics for independent electrons from an entropy production rate principle
ABB Switzerland Ltd, Corporate Research - Baden-Dättwil, Switzerland
Corresponding author: thomas.christen@ch.abb.com
Received:
14
January
2010
Accepted:
26
February
2010
The quasi-stationary nonequilibrium distribution function of an independent electron gas interacting with a medium, which is at local thermal equilibrium, can be obtained by entropy production rate minimization, subject to constraints of fixed moments. The approach serves as a closure of the associated generalized hydrodynamic equations of the electron gas for an arbitrary number of moments, and provides an access to far-from-equilibrium transport with nonlinear current-voltage behavior. Furthermore, the method turns out to be particularly useful for a description of semi-classical transport in mesoscopic (low-dimensional) electric conductors, because macroscopic contacts can be taken into account in a natural way.
PACS: 72.10.Bg – General formulation of transport theory / 73.23.-b – Electronic transport in mesoscopic systems / 72.80.Sk – Insulators
© EPLA, 2010
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