Nonequilibrium steady states and MacLennan-Zubarev ensembles in a quantum junction system

Abstract

Based on a recent progress in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of infinitely extended quantum systems, a nonequlibrium steady state (NESS) is constructed for a single-level quantum dot interacting with two free reservoirs under less general but more practically useful conditions than the previous works. As an example, a model of an Ahoronov-Bohm ring with a quantum dot is studied in detail. Then, NESS is shown to be regarded as a MacLennan-Zubarev ensemble. A formal relation between response and correlation at NESS is derived as well.