Consistent bosonization-debosonization I: A resolution of the non-equilibrium transport puzzle

We critically reexamine the bosonization-debosonization procedure for systems including certain types of localized features (although more general scenarios are possible). By focusing on the case of a tunneling junction out of equilibrium, we show that the conventional approach gives results that are not consistent with the exact solution of the problem even at the qualitative level. We identify inconsistencies that can adversely affect the results of all types of calculations. We subsequently show a way to avoid these and proceed consistently. The extended framework we develop here should be widely applicable.