INTERFACE-INDUCED MASS RENORMALIZATION AND RELAXATION-TIME IN NANOSCALE DEVICES

The non-Markovian behaviour of confined systems of electrons interacti ng with both elastic and inelastic scattering is studied by the holomo rphic memory-function method, First, a 'ballistic memory function' is identified, which shows that the conductance quanization of waveguides is caused by long-lived correlations between the device contacts. Sec ond, an 'interacting memory function' shows the mutual influence of ge ometrical confinement and dissipative mechanisms. Lateral quantization is associated with diffusive boundary scattering which causes phase-b reaking effects when it interacts with elastic scattering centres. Thi s affects both the electron mass through renormalization, and the tran sport relaxation time, through a shift.