Electron ratchet effect in semiconductor devices and artificial materials with broken centrosymmetry |
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Authors: | AM Song |
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Institution: | Sektion Physik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit?t, Geschwister-Scholl Platz 1, 80539 München, Germany, DE
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Abstract: | Studies on nonlinear electron transport in nanometer-sized semiconductor devices with broken centrosymmetry are reviewed.
In these devices, an applied alternating (rocking) electric field induces a net flow of electrons in the direction perpendicular
to that of the applied field. Such an electron ratchet effect has been observed in a number of differently designed devices,
fabricated from two types of semiconductor material systems. The functionality is interpreted with an extended Büttiker–Landauer
formula. We show that the devices operate at both cryogenic and room temperatures and at frequencies up to at least 50 GHz.
Based on a similar microscopic mechanism, we have also constructed, to the best of our knowledge, the first artificial electronic
nanomaterial that operates at room temperature. The promising possibilities for practical applications, such as rectification,
microwave detection, second-harmonic generation, etc., are also discussed.
Received: 16 January 2002 / Accepted: 11 February 2002 / Published online: 22 April 2002 |
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Keywords: | PACS: 73 23 Ad 73 40 Ei 73 50 Fq 81 05 Zx 07 57 Kp |
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