ABSTRACT
Present-day technology pushes device dimensions toward limits where the
traditional semiclassical or Boltzmann theory [1] can no longer be applied,
and more rigorous quantum-kinetic approaches are imperative [2]. How-
ever, in spite of the quantum-mechanical nature of electron and photon
dynamics in the core region of typical solid-state nanodevices —e.g., super-
lattices [3] and quantum-dot structures [4]— the overall behavior of such
quantum systems is often governed by a complex interplay between phase
coherence and energy relaxation/dephasing [5], the latter being also due to
the presence of spatial boundaries [6]. Therefore, a proper treatment of such
novel nanoscale devices requires a theoretical modeling able to properly ac-
count for both coherent and incoherent —i.e., phase-breaking-processes
on the same footing.
