arXiv subjects

David K. Ferry

Publications and source records attributed to David K. Ferry.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Kirchhoff`s Forgotten Contributions to Electromagnetism: Continuity Equation versus Displacement Currents

In 1857, Kirchhoff published two seminal papers on the motion of electricity in wires. In that work, he was the first to derive what we now call the telegrapher`s equations, which describes the propagation of electromagnetic signals along a cable at the speed of light, in some conditions. How was Kirchhoff able to describe electromagnetic propagation as early as 1857, when the notion of displacement current which is believed to be the essential ingredient for the propagation of electric and magnetic fields was not introduced by Maxwell until 1861 and fully explained later in 1865? In this paper, we show that Kirchhoff was the first, in his 1857 paper, to introduce the continuity equation when discussing electromagnetic propagation. We argue that the continuity equation used by Kirchhoff is a more fundamental concept now as it was in 1865 than displacement current. In our view, the dynamics of charged particles can be formulated without invoking fields, but the dynamics of fields cannot be formulated without a continuity equation describing the properties of matter.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2025

Approximate Wigner Approach to Coulomb Entanglement

The electric interaction between two nearby evolving electrons triggers the correlation between their waves and governs the operation of logical devices called Coulomb entanglers. Of technological interest in the presence of magnetic fields are multi-spatial evolution scenarios beyond pure state descriptions. The two-electron density matrix becomes eight-dimensional even for two-dimensional spatial cases and is thus computationally prohibitive. In this work, we present two new approximations of the two-electron Wigner equation that aim at computational feasibility: a BBGKY approach for reducing the number of variables and a field approximation of the Coulomb-Wigner operator. They exhibit different conceptual aspects that illustrate alternative viewpoints to entanglement: Only the evolution provided by the latter model satisfies the orthodox definition of entanglement. Our analysis, based on the Fredholm integral representation of the models, allows us to develop an intuitive picture and physical insight into the process.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Displacement Current in Classical and Quantum Systems

It is certain that electrical properties-whether slow (sec) or fast (nsec), even optical (fsec)-are described by Maxwell's equations, and there are terms that depend on the rate of change of the electric and magnetic fields. In particular, Maxwell's equation for the curl of the magnetic field contains both the steady current and a term depending upon the temporal derivative of the electric displacement field. The latter is referred to as displacement current, and is generally believed to have been included originally by Maxwell himself, although there is evidence it was earlier considered by Kirchhoff. Maxwell's equations and Kirchoff's circuit laws both are important over the wide range of frequencies with which electronics traditionally deals. And, displacement current is an important contribution to these in both classical and quantum mechanics. Here, the development of displacement current, its importance in both classical and quantum mechanics, and some applications are provided to illustrate the fundamental role that it plays in the dynamics of a wide range of systems.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2024

Bohmian Mechanics as a Practical Tool

In this chapter, we will take a trip around several hot-spots where Bohmian mechanics and its capacity to describe the microscopic reality, even in the absence of measurements, can be harnessed as computational tools, in order to help in the prediction of phenomenologically accessible information (also useful for the followers of the Copenhagen theory). As a first example, we will see how a Stochastic Schrödinger Equation, when used to compute the reduced density matrix of a non-Markovian open quantum system, necessarily seems to employ the Bohmian concept of a conditional wavefunction. We will see that by dressing these conditional wavefunctions with an interpretation, the Bohmian theory can prove to be a useful tool to build general quantum frameworks, like a high-frequency electron transport model. As a second example, we will introduce how a Copenhagen "observable operator" can be derived from numerical properties of the Bohmian trajectories, which within Bohmian mechanics, are well-defined even for an "unmeasured" system. Most importantly in practice, even if these numbers are given no ontological meaning, not only we will be able to simulate (thus, predict and talk about) them, but we will see that they can be operationally determined in a weak value experiment. Therefore, they will be practical numbers to characterize a quantum system irrespective of the followed quantum theory.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Using Ensemble Monte Carlo Methods to Evaluate Non-Equilibrium Green's Functions, II. Polar-Optical Phonons

In semi-classical transport, it has become common practice over the past few decades to use ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) methods for the simulation of transport in semiconductor devices. This method utilizes particles while still addressing the full physics within the device, leaving the computational difficulties to the computer. More recently, the study of quantum mechanical effects within the devices, have become important, and have been addressed in semiconductor devices using non-equilibrium Green's functions (NEGF). In using NEGF, one faces considerable computational difficulties. Recently, a particle approach to NEGF has been proposed [ 1], and preliminary results presented for non-polar optical phonons, which are very localized scattering centers. Here, the problems with long-range polar-optical phonons are discussed and results of the particle-based simulation presented.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Using Ensemble Monte Carlo Methods to Evaluate Non-Equilibrium Green's Functions

The use of ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) methods for the simulation of transport in semiconductor devices has become extensive over the past few decades. This method allows for simulation utilizing particles while addressing the full physics within the device, leaving the computational difficulties to the computer. More recently, the study of quantum mechanical effects within the devices, effects which also strongly affect the carrier transport itself, have become important. While particles have continued to be useful in quantum simulations using Wigner functions, interest in analytical solutions based upon the non-equilibrium Green's functions (NEGF) have become of greater interest in device simulation. While NEGF has been adopted by many commercial semiconductor, there remains considerable computational difficulty in this approach. Here, a particle approach to NEGF is discussed, and preliminary results presented illustrating the computational efficiency that remains with the use of particles. This approach adopts the natural basis functions for use in a high electric field and the preliminary results are obtained for quantum transport in Si at 300 K. This approach appears to offer significant advantages for the use of NEGF.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2022

Kirchhoff's Current Law with Displacement Current

Kirchhoff's Current Law is an essential tool in the design of circuits that operate very quickly, faster than nanoseconds. But Kirchhoff's current is often identified as the flow of particles. The continuity equation or the Maxwell-Ampere law shows that the sum of displacement current $\textbf{plus}$ particle current is conserved by Maxwell's equations and Kirchhoff's law. Kirchoff included the displacement current in the current of his law, from early on. This Kirchhoff current (including the displacement current) does not vary with spatial location in the ionic channels of biology. Electronic circuits switching in nanoseconds are analyzed using the Bohm representation of quantum mechanics including particle and displacement current.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2017

Memristor equations: incomplete physics and undefined passivity/activity

In his seminal paper, Chua presented a fundamental physical claim by introducing the memristor, "The missing circuit element". The memristor equations were originally supposed to represent a passive circuit element because, with active circuitry, arbitrary elements can be realized without limitations. Therefore, if the memristor equations do not guarantee that the circuit element can be realized by a passive system, the fundamental physics claim about the memristor as "missing circuit element" loses all its weight. The question of passivity/activity belongs to physics thus we incorporate thermodynamics into the study of this problem. We show that the memristor equations are physically incomplete regarding the problem of passivity/activity. As a consequence, the claim that the present memristor functions describe a passive device lead to unphysical results, such as violating the Second Law of thermodynamics, in infinitely large number of cases. The seminal memristor equations cannot introduce a new physical circuit element without making the model more physical such as providing the Fluctuation Dissipation Theory of memristors.

cs.ET↗

arXiv2017

Second Law based definition of passivity/activity of devices

Recently, our efforts to clarify the old question, if a memristor is a passive or active device [1], triggered debates between engineers, who have had advanced definitions of passivity/activity of devices, and physicists with significantly different views about this seemingly simple question. This debate triggered our efforts to test the well-known engineering concepts about passivity/activity in a deeper way, challenging them by statistical physics. It is shown that the advanced engineering definition of passivity/activity of devices is self-contradictory when a thermodynamical system executing Johnson-Nyquist noise is present. A new, statistical physical, self-consistent definition based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics is introduced. It is also shown that, in a system with uniform temperature distribution, any rectifier circuitry that can rectify thermal noise must contain an active circuit element, according to both the engineering and statistical physical definitions.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2017

Information entropy and thermal entropy: apples and oranges

The frequent misunderstanding of information entropy is pointed out. It is shown that, contrary to fortuitous situations and common beliefs, there is no general interrelation between the information entropy and the thermodynamical entropy. We point out that the change of information entropy during measurement is determined by the resolution of the measurement instrument and these changes do not have a general and clear-cut interrelation with the change of thermal entropy. Moreover, these changes can be separated in space and time. We show classical physical considerations and examples to support this conclusion. Finally, we show that information entropy can violate the Third Law of Thermodynamics which is another indication of major differences from thermal entropy.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2017

Ferroelectric Domain Patterning Controlled Schottky Junction State in Monolayer MoS$_2$

We exploit scanning probe controlled domain patterning in a ferroelectric top layer to induce nonvolatile modulation of the conduction characteristic of monolayer MoS$_2$ between a transistor and a junction state. In the presence of a domain wall, MoS$_2$ exhibits rectified I-V that is well described by the thermionic emission model. The induced Schottky barrier height varies from 0.38 eV to 0.57 eV and is tunabe by a SiO$_2$ global back-gate, while the tuning range of depends sensitively on the conduction band tail trapping states. Our work points to a new route to achieving programmable functionalities in van der Waals materials and sheds light on the critical performance limiting factors in these hybrid systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Noise and Bell's inequality

From the beginning of quantum mechanics, there has been a discussion about the concept of reality, as exemplified by the EPR paradox. To many, the idea of the paradox and the possibility of local hidden variables was dismissed by the Bell inequality. Yet, there remains considerable evidence that this inequality can be violated even by classical systems, so that experiments showing quantum behavior and the violation of the inequality must be questioned. Here, we demonstrate that classical optical polarization experiments based upon noise in the system can be shown to violate the Bell inequality.

quant-ph↗