Improved master equation approach to quantum transport: From Born to self-consistent Born approximation

Abstract: Beyond the second-order Born approximation, we develop an improved master equation approach to quantum transport by virtue of a self-consistent Born approximation. The basic idea is replacing the free Green's function in the tunneling self-energy by an effective reduced propagator under the Born approximation. We found that the effect of this simple improvement is remarkable, for instance, it can not only recover the exact result of noninteracting transport under arbitrary voltages, but also predict the challenging nonequilibrium Kondo effect. In addition to having an elegant structure, the application convenience and accuracy of the proposed scheme, as demonstrated by the examples in this work, may suggest it a useful tool for quantum transports.