Generalization of the Landauer-B\"uttiker theory onto the case of dissipative contacts

Abstract

We revisit the problem of two-terminal transport of non-interacting Fermi particles in a mesoscopic device. First, we generalize the problem by including into consideration relaxation processes in contacts (which are characterized by the contact self-thermalization rate $\gamma$) and then solve it by using the master equation approach. In the limit $\gamma\rightarrow0$ the obtained results are shown to reproduce those of the Landauer-B\"uttiker theory. Thus, the presented analysis proves analytical correspondence between the Landauer-B\"uttiker and master-equation approaches to quantum transport, -- the problem which resisted solution for decades.