Sum-rule constraints for open mesoscopic conductors

Abstract

The conserving sum rules for the electron gas form a set of fundamental and powerful constraints on the description of electronic transport, at any length scale. We examine the particular role of the compressibility sum rule for open mesoscopic conductors, and show that the compressibility in such systems is absolutely invariant under nonequilibrium transport. The compressibility sum rule provides a stringent consistency check on models of mesoscopic conduction. Show more