Effect of a localized state inside the barrier on the temporal characteristics of electron tunneling in double-barrier quantum wells

Jin-feng Zhang and Ben-yuan Gu
Phys. Rev. B 44, 8204 – Published 15 October 1991
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Abstract

The dynamical features of an electron wave packet tunneling through a double-barrier-quantum-well (DBQW) structure with a defect-layer sheet on the barrier are studied using the transfer-matrix approach. We examine the time dependence of the probability density Pw(t) of finding an electron inside the well, and find that the behavior of Pw(t) is quite diverse for different systems. It depends on the momentum distribution of the incident electron and the structure of the quasibound states in the well, modulated by the defect-layer sheet on the barrier. In particular, Pw(t) may oscillate with time. To explain this oscillating behavior, we analyze the electron wave function in the well in detail and present a physical picture to describe the motion of the electron wave packet within the well. For comparison, the equivalent DBQW structure without a localized state is also investigated. Our results indicate that the dwell time can be significantly shortened by introducing a localized state inside the barrier. This result may find application in the design of fast devices.

  • Received 29 April 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.44.8204

©1991 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jin-feng Zhang and Ben-yuan Gu

  • Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100 080, People’s Republic of China

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Issue

Vol. 44, Iss. 15 — 15 October 1991

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