The combined semi-classical and relaxation limit in a quantum hydrodynamic semiconductor model

Abstract

We discuss the combined semi-classical and relaxation limit of a one-dimensional isentropic quantum hydrodynamical model for semiconductors. The quantum hydrodynamic equations consist of the isentropic Euler equations for the particle density and current density, including the quantum potential and a momentum relaxation term. The momentum equation is highly nonlinear and contains a dispersive term with third-order derivatives. The equations are self-consistently coupled to the Poisson equation for the electrostatic potential. With the help of the Maxwell-type iteration, we prove that, as the relaxation time and Planck constant tend to zero, periodic initial-value problems of a scaled one-dimensional isentropic quantum hydrodynamic model have unique smooth solutions existing in the time interval where the classical drift-diffusion model has smooth solutions. Meanwhile, we justify a formal derivation of the classical drift-diffusion model from the quantum hydrodynamic model.