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Extraordinary electron transmission through a periodic array of quantum dots
L S Petrosyan1, A S Kirakosyan, T V Shahbazyan
1Department of Medical Physics, Yerevan State Medical University, 2 Koryun Street, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia and Department of Physics, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 39217 USA.
Physical Review Letters
|December 21, 2011
Summary
We found that electron transmission through quantum dot arrays is greatly enhanced when the electron
Area of Science:
- Solid State Physics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Understanding electron transport in nanostructures is crucial for developing advanced electronic devices.
- Periodic arrays of quantum dots (QDs) offer unique electronic properties due to quantum confinement and inter-dot coupling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phenomenon of enhanced electron conductance in a periodic array of quantum dots.
- To elucidate the underlying physical mechanism responsible for this conductance enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of electron transmission through a periodic array of QDs.
- Numerical simulations considering coherent coupling between QDs and semiconductor leads.
- Analysis of system eigenstates and their delocalization properties.
Main Results:
- Off-resonant conductance per quantum dot (QD) is enhanced by several orders of magnitude compared to single-QD conductance.
- This enhancement occurs when the Fermi wavelength of tunneling electrons exceeds the array lattice constant.
- The key mechanism identified is the delocalization of a fraction of system eigenstates.
Conclusions:
- Coherent coupling of QDs via the electron continuum in leads leads to significant conductance enhancement.
- Delocalized eigenstates play a critical role in facilitating electron transport through the QD array.
- This finding has implications for the design of novel electronic components utilizing quantum dot arrays.
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