Theory of Electron Transport in Small Semiconductor Devices Using the Pauli Master Equation

It is argued that the Pauli master equation can be used to simulate electron transport in very small electronic devices under steady-state conditions. Written in a basis of suitable wavefunctions and with the appropriate open boundary conditions, this equation removes some of the approximations which render the Boltzmann equation unsatisfactory at small length-scales. The main problems consist in describing the interaction of the system with the reservoirs and in assessing the range of validity of the equation: Only devices smaller than the size of the electron wavepackets injected from the contacts can be handled. Two one-dimensional examples solved by a simple Monte Carlo technique are presented.