Charge Current Density from the Scattering Matrix

Abstract

A method to derive the charge current density and its quantum mechanical correlation from the scattering matrix is discussed for quantum scattering systems described by a time-dependent Hamiltonian operator. The current density and charge density are expressed with the help of functional derivatives with respect to the vector potential and the electric potential. A condition imposed by the requirement that these local quantities are gauge invariant is considered. Our formulas lead to a direct relation between the local density of states and the total current density at a given energy. To illustrate the results we consider, as an example, a chiral ladder model.