Quantum transport through ballistic chaotic cavities: a statistical approach

The problem of quantum chaotic scattering is addressed by means of a statis tical model for the scattering matrix. The model, introduced in the past in the context of nuclear physics, describes the problem in terms of a prompt and an equilibrated component: it incorporates the average value of the sc attering matrix to describe the prompt processes and satisfies the requirem ents of flux conservation, causality and ergodicity. The model is applied t o the analysis of electronic transport through ballistic mesoscopic cavitie s: it describes well the results arising from the numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation for two-dimensional cavities.