Abstract
The effect of transverse magnetic fields up to 11.5 T on the tunnel current in GaAs/(AlGa)As/GaAs heterostructure barriers is reported. The decrease of the tunnel current with increasing field is shown to arise from an increase in effective barrier height due to the diamagnetic energy. The results are used to test the effective mass and WKB approximations which are generally used to describe tunnelling effects in semiconductors. Recent calculations of barrier traversal times are briefly reviewed. Two of these theoretical models are used to calculate the effect of applied magnetic and electric fields on the barrier traversal time.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
L. Esaki: In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, ed. by J.D. Chadi, W.A. Harrison ( Springer, New York 1985 ) pp. 473–483
T.C.L.G. Sollner, P.E. Tannenwald, D.C. Peck, W.D. Goodhue: Appl. Phys. Lett. 45, 1319 (1984).
M. Heilblum, M.I. Nathan, D.C. Thomas, C.M. Knoedler: Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2200 (1985)
A.R. Bonnefoi, D.H. Chow, T.C. McGill: Appl. Phys. Lett. 47, 888 (1985)
D.C. Taylor, P.S.S. Guimaraes, B.R. Snell, F.W. Sheard, L. Eaves, G.A. Toombs, J.C. Portal, L. Dmowski, K.E. Singer, G. Hill, M.A. Pate: In Proceedings of the International Conference on Modulated Semiconductor Structures, to appear in Surface Sci. (Kyoto 1986)
P.S.S. Guimaraes, D.C. Taylor, B.R. Snell, L. Eaves, K.E. Singer, G. Hill, M.A. Pate, G.A. Toombs, F.W. Sheard: J. Phys. C. Solid State Phys. 18, L605 –609 (1985)
L. Eaves, P.S.S. Guimaraes, F.W. Sheard, B.R. Snell, D.C. Taylor, G.A. Toombs, K.E. Singer: J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. J 8, L885–9 (1985)
L. Eaves, P.S.S. Guimaraes, B.R. Snell, D.C. Taylor, K.E. Singer: Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 262 (1985)
L. Eaves, D.C. Taylor, J.C. Portal, L. Dmowski: In Proceedings of the 4th International Winter School on Two–Dimensional Systems, Mauterndorf, Austria 1986 (to be published by Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg)
L. Eaves, P.S.S. Guimaraes, B.R. Snell, F.W. Sheard, D.C. Taylor, G.A. Toombs, J.C. Portal, L. Dmowski, K.E. Singer, G. Hill, M.A. Pate: to be published in Microstructures and Superlattices (1986)
K.W.H. Stevens: Eur. J. Phys. 1, 98 (1980)
K.W.H. Stevens: J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. C-16, 3649 (1983)
M. Buttiker, R. Landauer: Phys. Rev. Lett. 49, 1739 (1982)
M. Buttiker, R. Landauer: Proceedings of the Europhysics Study Conference on Tunnelling at Low Temperatures (Leuven 1985 ) pp. 5–7
J.R. Barker: Physica B134, 22 (1985)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Eaves, L., Stevens, K.W.H., Sheard, F.W. (1986). Tunnel Currents and Electron Tunnelling Times in Semiconductor Heterostructure Barriers in the Presence of an Applied Magnetic Field. In: Kelly, M.J., Weisbuch, C. (eds) The Physics and Fabrication of Microstructures and Microdevices. Springer Proceedings in Physics, vol 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71446-7_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71446-7_26
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71448-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71446-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive