A Monte Carlo simulation of electron transit times in dissipative quantum devices

A Monte Carlo simulation procedure for the estimation of the transit times of electrons that tunnel across elastic barriers is presented. The procedure, based on a quantum kinetic approach, includes the effects of interference due to elastic barriers and incorporates electron-phonon phase-breaking processes. The phase-breaking processes remove the interference effects due to barriers and are responsible for dissipation in quantum transport. The transit time of electrons in quantum devices will, therefore, be drastically affected due to the presence of the two above-mentioned effects. The results of the simulation for the single- and double-barrier structures are reported. Also, as an example, an application of the transit time that shows how dissipation may influence the noise properties of the double-barrier structures is presented