Nonlinear Resonant Tunnelling Through Double Barrier Structures

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how nonlinear self-interactions in double-barrier structures affect resonant tunneling, showing that nonlinearity broadens peaks but enhances device frequency performance.

Contribution

It provides an analytical model for nonlinear resonant tunneling using delta-function barriers, revealing effects on peak shape and device frequency.

Findings

Resonant peaks decrease and broaden with increased nonlinearity.

Nonlinear effects degrade peak-to-valley ratio.

Nonlinearity improves maximum operation frequency.

Abstract

We study resonant tunnelling through double-barrier structures under an applied bias voltage, in which nonlinearities due to self-interaction of electrons in the barrier regions are included. As an approximation, we concern ourselves with thin barriers simulated by $\delta$-function potentials. This approximation allows for an analytical expression of the transmission probability through the structure. We show that the typical peaks due to resonant tunneling decrease and broaden as nonlinearity increases. The main conclusion is that nonlinear effects degrade the peak-to-valley ratio but improve the maximum operation frequency of the resonant tunnelling devices.