Interface roughness,polar optical phonons,and the valley current of a resonant tunneling diode

Theory, numerical simulations, and experimental measurements of the valley current of a GaAs/AlAs resonant tunneling diode are compared. The effect on the valley current of different interface-roughness correlation models, island sizes, and asymmetric roughness is described. Initially, the valley current increases quadratically with island size. Between 6 and 10 nm there is a crossover and the contribution to the valley current begins to decrease. Asymmetric roughness on normal and inverted interfaces (smooth normal and rough in verted) results in order of magnitude different contributions to the valley current under forward and reverse bias. This asymmetry in the valley current occurs even when the polar optical phonon scattering is taken into account. The polar optical phonon scattering dominates the valley current.     

Tunneling spectroscopy of voltage tunable quantum wires

Resonant tunneling spectroscopy is used to investigate the tuning range for the one-dimensional subband spacing of side-gated quantum wires. We introduce a simplified selective depletion scheme for the implementation of a resonant tunneling device. From the analysis of the differential tunneling conductance obtained for a single-wire device we conclude that the energetic spacing for the one-dimensional subbands can be varied from effectively 0 to about 6 meV. Measurements in magnetic fields directed parallel and perpendicular to the tunnel current confirm the one-dimensional nature of the tunneling processes as well as the order of magnitude of the subband spacing by comparison of the tunneling characteristics with a model calculation that assumes a parabolic confinement.     

Current rectification through a single-barrier resonant tunneling quantum structure

We propose a simple quantum structure which exhibits resonant tunneling under one bias and simple tunneling under the opposite one, thus acting as a rectifier. The diode consists of a single laterally-indented barrier. Due to its particular conduction-band profile, electrons undergo resonant tunneling when the bias creates a band-profile triangular well which can contain a resonant state aligned to the emitter Fermi energy. A diode with an active layer of ≈ 100Å, realized by AlGaAs/GaAs, has a Rectification Ratio, calculated at the current-peak bias at resonance, of ≈ 100. This value can be enhanced by putting in series several elements of this kind.     

Scattering involving LO phonons in tunneling to the 2D electron system of a delta layer

Tunneling to both one and two or three subbands of the 2D electron system of a delta-doped layer is observed in Al/δ-GaAs structures. The energy positions of 2D subbands in one sample are varied due to the diamagnetic shift or persistent tunneling photoconductivity. The change of the sign of a step in tunneling conductivity is observed at the threshold of the emission of an LO phonon when a successive subband is involved in tunneling. An increase in conductivity (positive step) is observed for inelastic intrasubband electron-phonon scattering. A decrease in conductivity (negative step) is observed when the ordinary processes of inelastic tunneling are supplemented by intersubband transitions of electrons that have tunneled in 2D electron systems with the emission of an LO phonon.     

Magneto-optical studies of ballistic electron transport in single barrier heterostructures

We report an investigation of ballistic electron transport in GaAs/AlGaAs p-i-n single barrier structures with magnetic fields of up to 14T applied parallel to the tunneling direction (B//z). The energy distribution and relaxation processes of the non-equilibrium electron population injected into the p-doped collector from the Landau levels of the emitter accumulation layer are studied by means of electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopy. The observation of emitter Landau level structure in the ballistic electron EL spectra shows that the 2D to 3D tunneling process is elastic. In addition to the ballistic electron EL, cross-barrier recombination between the electron and hole accumulation layers is observed. This allows a precise determination of the initial energy distribution of the injected electrons.     

Spin-dependent current in resonant tunneling diode with ferromagnetic GaMnN layers

The spin-polarized tunneling current through a double barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) with ferromagnetic GaMnN emitter/collector is investigated theoretically. Two distinct spin splitting peaks can be observed at current-voltage (I-V) characteristics at low temperature. The spin polarization decreases with the temperature due to the thermal effect of electron density of states. When charge polarization effect is considered at the heterostructure, the spin polarization is enhanced significantly. A highly spin-polarized current can be obtained depending on the polarization charge density.     

Strong wavevector dependence of hole transport in heterostructures

Heterostructures such as resonant tunneling diodes, quantum well photodetectors and lasers, and cascade lasers break the symmetry of the crystalline lattice. Such break in lattice symmetry causes a strong interaction of heavy-, light- and split-off hole bands. A resonant tunneling diode is used as a vehicle to study hole transport in heterostructures including the subband dispersion transverse to the main transport direction. Four key findings are demonstrated: (1) the heavy and light hole interaction is shown to be strong enough to result in dominant current flow off the Γ zone center (more holes flow through the structure at an angle than straight through), (2) explicit inclusion of the transverse momentum in the current integration is needed, (3) most of the current flow is due to injection from heavy holes in the emitter, and (4) the dependence on the angle φ of the transverse momentum k is weak. Two bandstructure models are utilized to demonstrate the underlying physics: (1) independent/uncoupled heavy-, light- and split-off bands, and (2) second-nearest neighbor sp3s* tight-binding model. Current–voltage (I–V) simulations including explicit integration of the total energy E, transverse momentum | k | and transverse momentum angle φ are analyzed. An analytic formula for the current densityJ (k) as a function of transverse momentum k is derived and utilized to explain the three independent mechanisms that generate off-zone-center current flow: (1) nonmonotonic (electron-like) hole dispersion, (2) different quantum well and emitter effective masses, and (3) momentum-dependent quantum well coupling strength. The analytic expression is also used to generate a complete I–V characteristic that compares well to the full numerical solution. The Fermi level and temperature dependence on the I–V is examined. Finally a simulation is compared to experimental data.     

Properties of monolithic integration of a resonant tunneling diode and a quantum well laser

An investigation of the electrical and optical characteristics of a resonant tunneling diode monolithically integrated with a quantum well laser is carried out. An analytic expression for the propagating model current is given in terms of the total spontaneous emission rate. The laser is pumped by the current emitted by the resonant tunneling diode. When the current in the laser exceeds the threshold current, laser light is produced. Since the current in the laser exhibits negative differential resistance similar in behavior to the current of a resonant tunneling diode, a bistable light output can be obtained from this new device.     

Intersubband photocurrent from double barrier resonant tunneling structures

Simple models of semiconductor-based double barrier resonant tunneling structures predict a large accumulation of charge carriers in the structure. These carriers can be excited optically from one subband to another generating photocurrent. In this work we have investigated the photo-induced current due to intersubband excitation in double barrier structures. We have found that the origin of the photocurrent is accumulation of quantized carriers in the emitter-barrier junction of the structure, rather than accumulation of carriers in the double barrier quantum well. This photon assisted tunneling process in double barrier structures may be used for infrared detection.     

Resonant tunneling mediated by resonant emission of intersubband plasmons

We study tunneling through resonant tunneling diodes (RTD) with very long emitter drift regions (up to 2 microm). In such diodes, charge accumulation occurs near the double barrier on the emitter side, in a self-induced potential pocket. This leads to a substantial enhancement of the wave function overlap between states of the pocket and the RTD, and, consequently, to increased off-resonant current mediated by various scattering processes. For RTD with the longest drift region (2 microm), an additional strong current peak is observed between the first and the second resonant peaks. We attribute this pronounced feature to the intersubband transitions mediated by resonant emission of intersubband plasmons.     

Resonant tunneling of electrons between two-dimensional systems of different densities in a quantizing magnetic field

The results of experimental investigation of the vertical electron transport in a GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/GaAs single-barrier tunneling heterostructure with a doped barrier are presented. Two-dimensional accumulation layers appear on different sides of the barrier as a result of the ionization of Si donors in the barrier layer. The nonmonotonic shift of the current peak is found in the I–V curve of the tunneling diode in a magnetic field perpendicular to the planes of two-dimensional layers. Such a behavior is shown to be successfully explained in the model of appearing the Coulomb pseudogap and the pinning of the spin-split Landau levels at the Fermi levels of the contacts. In this explanation, it is necessary to assume that the Landé factor is independent of the filling factors of the Landau levels and is g* = 7.5 for both layers.     

1.5MeV直线感应加速器的初步调试

本文介绍了新近在中国工程物理研究院建成的一台直线感应加速器。这台加速器由六个250kV的加速组元构成。其中四个用于构成电子源,另外两个用作后加速。输出电子束能量为1.5MeV,束流2—3kA,束脉冲宽度90ns,束的非归—化均方根发射度70mrad-cm。     

Electroforming of thin film silicon based homojunction pin diode

The recent observations of bright visible electroluminescence (EL) from electroformed thin film silicon based wide-gap alloys are further clamped down in a simpler structure. For this purpose, a standard quality, ordinary hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) homojunction pin diode was fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The fresh diode was characterized by temperature scanned current–voltage (I–V) and constant photocurrent measurements. The energy distribution of density of states within the forbidden gap of the intrinsic a-Si:H layer was determined by space charge limited current and optical absorption spectroscopies. Then the diode was intentionally subjected to a sufficiently high, calibrated electric field leading to its Joule heating assisted rapid crystallization at ambient atmosphere. The fresh and the formed diodes exhibit different I–V and EL characteristics. The current density of the formed diode increases drastically at low voltages while remaining unchanged at high voltages when compared to that of the fresh diode. Parallelly, the room temperature EL intensity under a particular current stress is boosted with electroforming. These interesting phenomena have been discussed in the frame of a self-consistent model.     

Hot electron injector Gunn diode for advanced driver assistance systems

This paper reviews the main aspects of the design, fabrication and characterization of GaAs Gunn diodes intended to be used in advanced driver assistance systems. The corresponding Gunn diode based oscillators operate at the microwave frequency of 77 GHz and deliver an output power up to 19.2 dBm (83.2 mW). To fulfill the high demands of the automotive industry, temperature stability and a high grade of frequency purity, the Gunn diode structure includes a hot electron injector. This is based on the heteroepitaxy of a graded gap Al_xGa_1-xAs layer and an adjacent thin highly doped GaAs layer. The hot electron injector properties are investigated using dc and rf electrical measurements, including the temperature influence as well. Specific production related data of the cavity oscillators using our Gunn diodes are presented. New alternatives, such as the resonant tunneling emitter as a hot electron injector and the Gunn diode based MMIC as oscillator, are introduced. PACS 85.30.-z; 73.40.-c; 07.57.Hm; 84.30.Ng; 85.30.Fg     

Exciton-assisted tunneling transport in heterojunction microstructures

Longitudinal tunneling transport in the low-dimensional heterojunction structures induced by the excitonic Coulomb interaction has been formulated and discussed in the framework of Fermi's golden rule. We have investigated the tunneling transition of free carriers to quantum-well Wannier–Mott excitons incorporated in the sequential tunneling Hamiltonian. The modeling is evaluated by a set of coupled rate equations involving subband states of electron, hole and exciton. The exciton-assisted tunneling (EAT) phenomenon has its characteristic fingerprint causing tunneling current prior to the resonance electric fields, and a significant modulation of the I–V characteristics. It is also found that the bias offset and the FWHM of the EAT current spectrum can be comparable to that of resonant tunneling (RT) current, depending both on the 2D hole density of the confined subband and the excitonic properties in the active region. The EAT effect has a different I–V spectral line shape, compared to that of the RT or its replica, tailing off in the resonance regime induced by the exciton binding energy.     

intersubband pumping of an : InP symmetric double quantum well terahertz laser

The feasibility of intersubband optical excitation of a terahertz (1–10 THz) or far-infrared (30–300 ) emitter/laser by a laser diode is investigated by means of envelope function/effective mass approximation and subband carrier lifetime calculations. The material system is employed in order to supply the necessary conduction band offset and the basic design is that of a 6-level symmetric double quantum well. This can simultaneously satisfy the criteria of an 800 meV intersubband absorption and a far-infrared emission. It is shown that these device designs can satisfy a necessary criterion for population inversion at room temperature. A scheme for improving the population ratio based on a 9-level triple quantum well is discussed.     

GaAlAs快速边发光管发射端面沉积Al2O3抗反射层的研究

本文报导了在快速DH GsAs-GaAlAs边发光管发射端面上溅射沉积Al2O3抗反射层的研究,涂层厚度与输出光功率的提高密切相关,层厚接近λ/4值时,在200mA下光功率输出的提高达~80%.     

Negative-differential conductivity measured on a germanium layer on Si(001)

The morphology and the electronic structure of heteroepitaxial germanium layers grown pseudomorphically by solution epitaxy on Si(001) has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). A significant decrease of tunneling current at a sample voltage of 1.5 V is observed in areas of 0.5 nm diameter between dimer rows. This decrease is due to a negative-differential conductivity at a tunnel diode configuration consisting of a surface defect structure of the germanium layer and the STM tungsten tip.     

以BBOT为电子传输层的聚合物蓝色发光二极管

在前篇文章中[1]我们报导了以perylene掺杂的PVCz聚合物单层电致发光器件,得到蓝色发光,其亮度为59(cd/m2).在这篇文章中,我们以PVCz作为空穴传导层,BBOT为电子传导层制成了双层结构的发光二极管.亮度和效率都大大超过单层器件.     

The role of emitter quasi-bound state and scattering on intrinsic bistability in resonant tunneling diodes

Usually, numerical self-consistent calculations predict a much larger intrinsic bistability region than actually is measured in resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs). In addition, numerical calculations have shown that scattering in the well reduces bistability. We used a unified treatment of current flowing from continuum states and emitter quasi-bound states to show numerically and analytically that not only the scattering in the quantum well but also the scattering in the emitter reduces bistability. Moreover, within the Hartree approximation, bistability occurs by tunneling resonantly between emitter quasi-bound state and well quasi-bound state as a pitchfork bifurcation.