thermal relaxation and dephasing

[yfchang]

I had calculated some molecular devices based on fused oligothiophenes. For my results, one reviewer said that:
" In Figure 3, there are peaks close to or at the Fermi energy in the zero voltage transmission plots. This may lead to longer tunneling times and thus to an interaction between the tunneling electron and the molecules nuclear degrees of freedom, which may make the Landauer picture little suitable for describing electron transport through the bridge since thermal relaxation and dephasing may become dominant. The authors may wish to either mention this issue (citing, e.g., A. Nitzan, Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem., 2001, 52, 681-750) or discuss why relaxation and dephasing are not expected to play a role for the structures under study here."

This reference is a long review and fulled of physical equation, and I have no idea about it. Could someone help me?

[kstokbro]

The width, w, of the peak gives you the coupling strength, gamma ~ w/2. If kt  << gamma dephasing is not important and you have coherent tunnelling. Thus, from the width of the peak you can estimate the temperature range where your results are valid.

[yfchang]

Thanks for your help. Is it satisfying if I say like this?

From the width of the transmission peak (w), we can get the  coupling strength, γ, about w/2. If kT<<γ, dephasing is not important.  The calculated transmission by ATK is based on the first-principles, and the results show the properties of the studied systems under the temperature T=0 K. The coupling strength of the transmission peak close to the Fermi level is 0.2 eV, and T<<r/k=2.32*10^3 K. Therefore, relaxation and dephasing are not expected to play a role for the structures under study here.