Relativistic electron transport through an oscillating barrier: wave packet generation and Fano-type resonances

TL;DR

This paper investigates how relativistic electrons behave when passing through an oscillating barrier, revealing enhanced transmission, Fano resonances, and wave packet dynamics, with implications for graphene-based systems.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of relativistic electron scattering on oscillating barriers, including all sidebands and detailed wave packet evolution, extending understanding of inelastic scattering effects.

Findings

Increased transmission probability in evanescent regime due to oscillation

Observation of multiple Fano-type resonances

Temporal trapping of particles inside the oscillating potential

Abstract

Transport properties of massive Dirac particles are investigated through an oscillating barrier. The Floquet quasienergies related to the time-dependent potential appear both in transmission and reflection as sidebands around the incoming electron's energy. We take all relevant sidebands into account and present time averaged transmission and reflection probabilities in a wide energy range. Most qualitative features of scattering on a static barrier -- like Klein paradox -- are still visible, but the transmission probability in the evanescent regime observably increases due to the oscillation of the potential. The strongly inelastic scattering process is shown to lead to multiple Fano-type resonances and temporal trapping of the particles inside the oscillating potential. We also present a detailed study of the time evolution of the wave packets generated in the scattering process. Our results can be relevant for graphene with an induced energy gap.