Controlling and enhancing THz collective electron dynamics in superlattices by chaos-assisted miniband transport

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how a tilted magnetic field can induce chaos-assisted miniband transport in semiconductor superlattices, leading to enhanced THz electron dynamics and high-frequency current oscillations.

Contribution

It reveals the role of chaos in controlling and enhancing collective electron behavior in superlattices under tilted magnetic fields.

Findings

Chaotic delocalization occurs at critical magnetic field values.

Resonant enhancement of electron drift velocity is observed.

Generation of GHz-THz current oscillations with increased frequencies.

Abstract

We show that a tilted magnetic field transforms the structure and THz dynamics of charge domains in a biased semiconductor superlattice. At critical field values, strong coupling between the Bloch and cyclotron motion of a miniband electron triggers chaotic delocalization of the electron orbits, causing strong resonant enhancement of their drift velocity. This dramatically affects the collective electron behavior by inducing multiple propagating charge domains and GHz-THz current oscillations with frequencies ten times higher than with no tilted field.