We investigate the Pauli blocking factor in quantum pumps using Floquet formalism. Even though the time dependent potentials in quantum pumping not only cause inelastic scatterings but also break the microreversibility, i.e., $T^{+}{(E}^{\prime },E\left)\ne T^{-}{(E,E}^{\prime }\right),$ the Pauli blocking factor is unnecessary when the scattering process through the scatterer is coherent. The well defined scattering states extending from one reservoir to the others form a complete nonorthogonal set. Regardless of the non-orthogonality one can obtain the pumped currents using the field operator formalism. The current expression finally obtained do not contain Pauli blocking factor.

• Received 22 October 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.033309