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In this book, the problem of electron and hole transport is approached from the point of view that a coherent and consistent physical theory can be constructed for transport phenomena. Along the road readers will visit some exciting citadels in theoretical physics as the authors guide them through the strong and weak aspects of the various theoretical constructions. Our goal is to make clear the mutual coherence and to put each theoretical model in an appropriate perspective. The mere fact that so many partial solutions have been proposed to describe transport, be it in condensed matter, fluids, or gases, illustrates that we are entering a world of physics with a rich variety of phenomena. Theoretical physics always seeks to provide a unifying picture. By presenting this tour of many very inventive attempts to build such a picture, it is hoped that the reader will be inspired and encouraged to help find the unifying principle behind the many faces of transport.
List of contents
I. General Formalism.- 1. The Many Faces of Transport.- 2. Classical Mechanics.- 3. Mathematical Interlude.- 4. Quantum Mechanics.- 5. Single-Particle Quantum Mechanics.- 6. Second Quantization.- 7. Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics.- 8. Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics.- 9. Wigner Distribution Functions.- 10. Balance Equations.- II. Applications.- 11. Velocity-Field Characteristics of a Silicon MOSFET.- 12. Gate Leakage Currents.- 13. Quantum Transport in Vertical Devices.- 14. An Exactly Solvable Electron-Phonon System.- 15. Open Versus Closed Systems.- 16. Conductance Quantization.- 17. Transport in Quantum Wires.- 18. Future Work.- References.
Summary
In this book, the problem of electron and hole transport is approached from the point of view that a coherent and consistent physical theory can be constructed for transport phenomena. Along the road readers will visit some exciting citadels in theoretical physics as the authors guide them through the strong and weak aspects of the various theoretical constructions. Our goal is to make clear the mutual coherence and to put each theoretical model in an appropriate perspective. The mere fact that so many partial solutions have been proposed to describe transport, be it in condensed matter, fluids, or gases, illustrates that we are entering a world of physics with a rich variety of phenomena. Theoretical physics always seeks to provide a unifying picture. By presenting this tour of many very inventive attempts to build such a picture, it is hoped that the reader will be inspired and encouraged to help find the unifying principle behind the many faces of transport.
