Self-consistent quantum-kinetic theory for interacting drifting electrons and force-driven phonons in a 1D system

Abstract

A self-consistent quantum-kinetic model is developed for studying strong-field nonlinear electron transport interacting with force-driven phonons within a nanowire system. For this model, phonons can be dragged into motion through strong electron–phonon scattering by fast-moving electrons along the opposite direction of the DC electric field. Meanwhile, the DC-field induced charge current of electrons can be either enhanced or reduced by the same electron–phonon scattering, depending on the relative direction of a DC field with respect to that of an applied temperature gradient for driving phonons. By making use of this quantum-kinetic model beyond the relaxation-time approximation, neither electron nor phonon temperature is required for describing ultrafast electron–phonon scattering and their correlated transports in this 1D electronic-lattice system.