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Tunnel Currents and Electron Tunnelling Times in Semiconductor Heterostructure Barriers in the Presence of an Applied Magnetic Field

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The Physics and Fabrication of Microstructures and Microdevices

Part of the book series: Springer Proceedings in Physics ((SPPHY,volume 13))

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.

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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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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

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  • 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

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