title: Nonequilibrium density matrix for quantum transport: Hershfield approach as a McLennan-Zubarev form of the statistical operator.
abstract: In this paper, we formally demonstrate that the nonequilibrium density matrix developed by Hershfield for the steady state has the form of a McLennan-Zubarev nonequilibrium ensemble. The correction term in this pseudoequilibrium Gibbs-like ensemble is directly related to the entropy production in the quantum open system. The fact that both methods state that a nonequilibrium steady state can be mapped onto a pseudoequilibrium, permits us to develop nonequilibrium quantities from formal expressions equivalent to the equilibrium case. We provide an example: the derivation of a nonequilibrium distribution function for the electron population in a scattering region in the context of quantum transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ness