Introduction

Abstract

The continuous downscaling of electronic devices has led to remarkable broadening of applications during the last twenty years, from nanoelectronics through the photovoltaics and more recently quantum computing. Although these devices have reached nanodimensions, with carrier transport approaching the ballistic limit in the active region, it is widely recognized that inelastic scattering have still a significant influence. For instance, it has been shown theoretically that electron–phonon scattering drastically influences the current characteristics in ultimate nanowire transistors [1]. The miniaturization tends to enhance also the impact of thermal effects, and accurate description of phonon scattering at the nanoscale is becoming crucial to understand and manage thermal dissipation in devices and circuits [2]. In modern optoelectronic devices like new generation solar cells, it is also essential to consider appropriate models of light–matter interaction at the microscopic level [3,4]. Time-dependent quantum transport models are becoming more and more relevant to correctly assess and predict the properties of electronic quantum computing devices. In such devices, the energy of an electron can change during its travel across the active region and timedependent modeling techniques are essential to predict their physical behavior [5].