Extension of the source-sink potential (SSP) approach to multichannel quantum transport

We present an extension of the single channel source-sink potential approach [F. Goyer, M. Ernzerhof, and M. Zhuang, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 144104 (2007)] for molecular electronic devices (MEDs) to multiple channels. The proposed multichannel source-sink potential method relies on an eigenchannel description of conducting states of the MED which are obtained by a self-consistent algorithm. We use the newly developed model to examine the transport of the 1-phenyl-1,3-butadiene molecule connected to two coupled rows of atoms that act as contacts on the left and right sides. With an eigenchannel description of the wave function in the contacts, we determined that one of the eigenchannels is effectively closed by the interference effects of the side chain. Furthermore, we provide an example where we observe a complete inversion (from bonding to antibonding and vice versa) of the transverse character of the wave function upon passage through the molecule. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4764291]