Theory of nonlinear electron transport for solids in a strong electric field

Abstract

The nonlinear transport for interacting electrons with phonons and impurities is studied in the presence of a strong electric field $E$. By separating the center-of-mass motion from the relative motion of electrons we are able to obtain force- and energy-balance equations in steady states, from which the electron temperature and current density can be determined self-consistently as a function of $E$.