Quantum Transport Theory in Disordered Nanoelectronic Systems

Quantum transport theory examines how electrons propagate through nanoelectronic structures when classical drift and diffusion models no longer suffice. In systems with atomic‐scale dimensions, wave‐like properties of electrons give rise to interference effects that can either enhance conduction in clean channels or lead to localisation in the presence of disorder. Structural imperfections, impurities and interface roughness introduce scattering centres that disrupt coherent propagation. The resulting interplay between quantum coherence, electron–electron interactions and stochastic disorder underpins phenomena such as Anderson localisation, universal conductance fluctuations and the emergence of topologically protected edge channels in otherwise insulating matrices. These effects govern the performance of next‐generation devices, from single‐electron transistors to two‐dimensional semiconductors and topological quantum bits, demanding both rigorous theoretical descriptions and quantitative predictive tools.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated controllable localisation–delocalisation transitions in two‐dimensional topological systems by engineering disorder at the atomic scale. Scanning probe experiments reveal how edge‐state resilience can be tuned by varying impurity concentration, offering routes to disorder‐robust quantum interconnects. A complementary computational framework based on non‐equilibrium Green’s functions combined with first‐principles electronic structure methods has been used to predict conductance spectra in disordered graphene nanoribbons, accurately capturing the interplay of edge roughness, subband mixing and electron–phonon interactions under bias. Further work has uncovered disorder‐induced topological phases in designer atomic lattices, where random potential landscapes trigger new chiral transport channels without external magnetic fields, pointing to novel device architectures that exploit rather than avoid imperfections.

Quantum Transport Theory in Disordered Nanoelectronic Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in quantum transport theory in disordered nanoelectronic systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Anderson localisation: Suppression of electronic transport due to coherent backscattering in a disordered potential, leading to an exponential decay of wavefunctions.

Non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF): A formalism to compute quantum transport in open systems by relating reservoir self-energies to device Green’s functions under bias.

Quantum coherence: Preservation of the phase relationship between electron wavefunctions, essential for interference and localisation phenomena.

Mean free path: The average distance an electron travels between successive scattering events in a material.

Topological edge state: A robust conducting channel at the boundary of a material, protected by the system’s bulk band topology against moderate disorder.