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Contact Dimension Effects in the Conductance of Semiconductor Nanowires

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ABSTRACT

With the exact solution of the Schroedinger equation for electrons in three-dimensional (3D) hardwall quantum channels, the conductance of small and short semiconductor quantum wires, or nanowires, is studied as a function of length, size, and contact dimensionality. Within the envelope function approximation, the two-terminal Landauer–Buttiker conductance has been calculated in the quantum ballistic regime, with complete mode mixing at the two end interfaces with the contacts. These are modeled by semi-infinite regions with hardwall confinement along only one of the transverse directions, so that continuous crossover from quasi-2D to 3D contacts can be simulated with increasing confinement length. The conductance oscillations within the 2e 2/h quantized conductance plateaus, due to the resonant transmission through quasi-bound longitudinal states, are shown to increase with contact dimension.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge support from the Brazilian agencies FAPESP and CNPq.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Estudos Avançados – lEAv, Centre Técnico Aeroespacial – CTA, C.P. 6044, 12231–970, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil

    Luis C. O. Dacal

  2. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE, C.P. 515, 12201-970, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil

    Erasmo A. de Andrada e Silva

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  1. Luis C. O. Dacal
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  2. Erasmo A. de Andrada e Silva
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Dacal, L.C.O., Silva, E.A.d.A.e. Contact Dimension Effects in the Conductance of Semiconductor Nanowires. J Supercond 18, 375–377 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-005-0013-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-005-0013-2

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