Electronic transport in mesoscopic systems

by Supriyo Datta

Recent advances in technology have made it possible to fabricate structures whose dimensions are much smaller than the mean free path of an electron. This is the first text-book to give a thorough account of the theory of electronic transport in such mesoscopic systems. Important concepts are illustrated by reference to relevant experimental results. The book begins with a chapter summarizing the necessary background material. The next chapter introduces the 'transmission formalism' which is widely used in describing mesoscopic transport. The applicability of this formalism to different transport regimes is examined and practical methods for evaluating the transmission function are discussed. This formalism is then used to describe three key topics in mesoscopic physics: quantum Hall effect, localization, and double-barrier tunneling. Optical analogies to mesoscopic phenomena are discussed briefly. The book closes with a simple intuitive description of the non-equilibrium Green's funct