From wave-functions to current-voltage characteristics: overview of a Coulomb blockade device simulator using fundamental physical parameters

TL;DR

This paper presents a physics-based simulation method for Coulomb blockade devices that relies solely on fundamental parameters, avoiding high-level fitting, and applies transfer Hamiltonian formalism to both metallic and semiconductor systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simulation approach based on fundamental physical parameters using transfer Hamiltonian formalism, applicable to various Coulomb blockade devices.

Findings

Accurately models current-voltage characteristics without fitting parameters.

Provides detailed methodology for tunneling rate calculation.

Applicable to both metallic and semiconductor Coulomb blockade devices.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present an accurate way, based on a physical description, to simulate Coulomb blockade devices. The method underlying the simulations depends only on fundamental parameters of the system and does not require the use of high level fitting parameters as tunneling conductances contrary to number of current Coulomb blockade simulators. It lies mainly on the transfer Hamiltonian formalism and Bardeen's formula within the framework of effective mass tensor. It can be applied to metallic Coulomb blockade devices as well as semiconductor ones. The details of this method are extensively reviewed from a theoretical point of view and the main results are presented. In particular, we study how to obtain tunneling rates information to deduce current/voltage characteristics of Metal-Insulator-Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIMIM) and Metal-Insulator-Si Quantum Dot-Insulator-Metal (MISiIM) structures.