Delayed feedback control of stochastic spatiotemporal dynamics in a resonant tunneling diode

The influence of time-delayed feedback upon the spatiotemporal current density patterns is investigated in a model of a semiconductor nanostructure, namely a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode. The parameters are chosen below the Hopf bifurcation, where the only stable state of the system is a spatially inhomogeneous "filamentary" steady state. The addition of weak Gaussian white noise to the system gives rise to spatially inhomogeneous self-sustained temporal oscillations that can be quite coherent. We show that applying a time-delayed feedback can either increase or decrease the regularity of the noise-induced dynamics in this spatially extended system. Using linear stability analysis, we can explain these effects, depending on the length of the delay interval. Furthermore, we study the influence of this additional control term upon the deterministic behavior of the system, which can change significantly depending on the choice of parameters.