Intrinsic coherence dynamics and phase localization in nanoscale Aharonov-Bohm interferometers

The nonequilibrium real-time dynamics of electron decoherence is explored in the quantum transport through the nanoscale double-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometers. We solve the exact master equation to find the exact quantum state of the device, from which the changes of the electron coherence through the magnetic flux in the nonequilibrium transport processes is obtained explicitly. We find that the relative phase between the two charge states of the degenerate double dot localizes to π2 or -π2 for all different magnetic fluxes, due to decoherence. This nontrivial decoherence process can be manifested in the measurable occupation numbers.