This reference text presents a conceptual framework for understanding room-temperature electron and phonon transport through molecules and other quantum objects. The flow of electricity through molecules is explained at the boundary of physics and chemistry, providing an authoritative introduction to molecular electronics for physicists, and quantum transport for chemists. Professor Lambert provides a pedagogical account of the fundamental concepts needed to understand quantum transport and thermoelectricity in molecular-scale and nanoscale structures. The material provides researchers and advanced students with an understanding of how quantum transport relates to other areas of materials modelling, condensed matter and computational chemistry. After reading the book, the reader will be familiar with the basic concepts of molecular-orbital theory and scattering theory, which underpin current theories of quantum transport.

This book is an introduction to a rapidly developing field of modern theoretical physics – the theory of quantum transport at nanoscale. The theoretical methods considered in the book are in the basis of our understanding of charge, spin and heat transport in nanostructures and nanostructured materials and are widely used in nanoelectronics, molecular electronics, spin-dependent electronics (spintronics) and bio-electronics. The book is based on lectures for graduate and post-graduate students at the University of Regensburg and the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden). The first part is devoted to the basic concepts of quantum transport: Landauer-Büttiker method and matrix Green function formalism for coherent transport, Tunneling (Transfer) Hamiltonian and master equation methods for tunneling, Coulomb blockade, vibrons and polarons. The results in this part are obtained as possible without sophisticated techniques, such as nonequilibrium Green functions, which are considered in detail in the second part. A general introduction into the nonequilibrium Green function theory is given. The approach based on the equation-of-motion technique, as well as more sophisticated one based on the Dyson-Keldysh diagrammatic technique are presented. The main attention is paid to the theoretical methods able to describe the nonequilibrium (at finite voltage) electron transport through interacting nanosystems, specifically the correlation effects due to electron-electron and electron-vibron interactions.

This book introduces researchers and students to the physical principles which govern the operation of solid-state devices whose overall length is smaller than the electron mean free path. In quantum systems such as these, electron wave behavior prevails, and transport properties must be assessed by calculating transmission amplitudes rather than microscopic conductivity. Emphasis is placed on detailing the physical laws that apply under these circumstances, and on giving a clear account of the most important phenomena. The coverage is comprehensive, with mathematics and theoretical material systematically kept at the most accessible level. The various physical effects are clearly differentiated, ranging from transmission formalism to the Coulomb blockade effect and current noise fluctuations. Practical exercises and solutions have also been included to facilitate the reader's understanding.

The book reflects scientific developments in the physics of metallic compound based nanodevices presented at the NATO-sponsored Workshop on nanophysics held in Russia in the summer of 2003. The program tackles the most appealing problems. It brings together specialists and provides an opportunity for young researchers from the partner countries to interact with them and get actively involved in the most attractive and promising interdisciplinary area of contemporary condensed matter physics.

This book presents the conceptual framework underlying the atomistic theory of matter, emphasizing those aspects that relate to current flow. This includes some of the most advanced concepts of non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. No prior acquaintance with quantum mechanics is assumed. Chapter 1 provides a description of quantum transport in elementary terms accessible to a beginner. The book then works its way from hydrogen to nanostructures, with extensive coverage of current flow. The final chapter summarizes the equations for quantum transport with illustrative examples showing how conductors evolve from the atomic to the ohmic regime as they get larger. Many numerical examples are used to provide concrete illustrations and the corresponding Matlab codes can be downloaded from the web. Videostreamed lectures, keyed to specific sections of the book, are also available through the web. This book is primarily aimed at senior and graduate students.