A systematic theory of the conductance measurements of noninvasive (weak probe) scanning gate microscopy is presented that provides an interpretation of what precisely is being measured. A scattering approach is used to derive explicit expressions for the first-and second-order conductance changes due to the perturbation by the tip potential in terms of the scattering states of the unperturbed structure. In the case of a quantum point contact, the first-order correction dominates at the conductance steps and vanishes on the plateaux where the second-order term dominates. Both corrections are nonlocal for a generic structure. Only in special cases, such as that of a centrally symmetric quantum point contact in the conductance quantization regime, can the second-order correction be unambiguously related with the local current density. In the case of an abrupt quantum point contact, we are able to obtain analytic expressions for the scattering eigenfunctions and thus evaluate the resulting conductance corrections.

The conductance change due to a local perturbation in a phase-coherent nanostructure is calculated. The general expressions to first and second order in the perturbation are applied to the scanning gate microscopy of a two-dimensional electron gas containing a quantum point contact. The first-order correction depends on two scattering states with electrons incoming from opposite leads and is suppressed on a conductance plateau; it is significant in the step regions. On the plateaus, the dominant second-order term likewise depends on scattering states incoming from both sides. It is always negative, exhibits fringes, and has a spatial decay consistent with experiments.