Generalized Wigner Function Formulation for Quantum Systems with Open Boundaries

Abstract

A rigorous microscopic theory for the description of quantum-transport phenomena in systems with open boundaries is proposed. We shall show that the application of the conventional Wigner-function formalism to this problem leads to unphysical results, like injection of coherent electronic states from the contacts. To overcome such basic limitation, we propose a generalization of the standard Wigner-function formulation, able to properly describe the incoherent nature of carrier injection at the device spatial boundaries as well as the interplay between phase coherence and energy relaxation/dephasing within the device active region. The proposed theoretical scheme constitutes the first rigorous derivation of the phenomenological injection model commonly employed in the simulation of open quantum devices.