Barrier Breakdown in a Multiple Quantum Well Structure

Aurore Gomez (1, 2) , Vincent Berger (1, 2) , Nicolas Péré-Laperne (3) , Louis-Anne de Vaulchier (3)

1 MPQ (UMR_7162) - Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques
2 Thales Research and Technology [Palaiseau]
3 LPA - Laboratoire Pierre Aigrain

We explore a regime of unipolar electronic transport in a multiple quantum well structure with very large current discontinuities - up to five orders of magnitude. Magnetotransport experiments reveal different transport regimes. Quantum well impact ionization shifts the structure from a resistive “down” state, where the current flows through interwell quantum tunneling, to a highly conductive “up” state. In the latter regime, the current leaks through a barrier suddenly broken down because of an efficient ionization of the first quantum well.

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Aurore Gomez, Vincent Berger, Nicolas Péré-Laperne, Louis-Anne de Vaulchier. Barrier Breakdown in a Multiple Quantum Well Structure. Applied Physics Letters, 2008, 92, pp.202110. ⟨hal-00193981⟩