We derive a relationship between the nonequilibrium particle distribution function and the scattering distribution function with nonlocal self-energy due to random impurity scattering. Using this relationship, we obtain a transport equation for mesoscopic devices that contains both known and random elastic scatterers. We show that for arbitrary applied bias, our equation resembles Büttiker’s equation for coherent transport with continuous voltage probes.

• Received 13 December 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.49.14007