Effect of Inelastic Scattering on the Electron Transport in a One-Dimensional Electron Interferorneter

Using the Büttiker formalism, we calculated the conductance of a one-dimensional interferometer,which consists of two quantum point contacts (QPC's) and a cavity sandwiched between them, in the presence of a phase randomizing scatterer located at the lower boundary of the cavity. The results show that a little inelastic scattering will completely destroy the formation of discrete zero-dimensional states, but the Aharonov-Bohrn-type oscillations can still take place, which are influenced by the inelastic scatterer.