3 research outputs found
Lateral current density fronts in asymmetric double-barrier resonant-tunneling structures
We present a theoretical analysis and numerical simulations of lateral
current density fronts in bistable resonant-tunneling diodes with Z-shaped
current-voltage characteristics. The bistability is due to the charge
accumulation in the quantum well of the double-barrier structure. We focus on
asymmetric structures in the regime of sequential incoherent tunneling and
study the dependence of the bistability range, the front velocity and the front
width on the structure parameters. We propose a sectional design of a structure
that is suitable for experimental observation of front propagation and discuss
potential problems of such measurements in view of our theoretical findings. We
point out the possibility to use sectional resonant-tunneling structures as
controllable three-terminal switches.Comment: to appear in J.Appl.Phy
Dynamic instability in resonant tunneling
We show that an instability may be present in resonant tunneling through a
quantum well in one, two and three dimensions, when the resonance lies near the
emitter Fermi level. A simple semiclassical model which simulates the resonance
and the projected density of states by a nonlinear conductor, the Coulomb
barrier by a capacitance, and the time evolution by an iterated map, is used.
The model reproduces the observed hysteresis in such devices, and exhibits a
series of bifurcations leading to fast chaotic current fluctuations.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure