The Aharonov-Bohm effect in normal metals-non-ensemble averaged quantum transport

Abstract

The Aharonov-Bohm effect in normal metal rings together with the associated conductance fluctuations in wires are clear signatures that experiments are now being performed in a quantum regime where conventional transport concepts do not apply. Ensemble averaging and taking the thermodynamic limit should not be used if comparisons to experiments are to be made. It is shown that by varying both the size of the sample as well as the temperature, we can study how ensemble averaging and energy averaging transforms a coherent quantum system into a classical one. © 1986.