Conductance distribution in quasi-one-dimensional disordered quantum wires

We develop a simple systematic method, valid for all strengths of disorder, to obtain analytically the full distribution of conductances P(g) for a quasi-one-dimensional wire within the model of non-interacting fermions. The method has been used in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 (1999) 3013; Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 8 (1999) 753; Phys. Rev. B 66 (2002) 174204; Europhys. Lett. 61 (2003) 95] to predict sharp features in P(g) near g = 1 and the existence of non-analyticity in the conductance distribution in the insulating and crossover regimes, as well as to show how P(g) changes from Gaussian to log normal behavior as the disorder strength is increased. Here we provide many details of the method, including intermediate results that offer much insight into the nature of the solutions. In addition, we show within the same framework that while for metals P(g) is a Gaussian around <g> much greater than 1, there exists a log-normal tail for g much less than 1, consistent with earlier field theory calculations. We also obtain several other results that compare very well with available exact results in the metallic and insulating regimes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.