Self-organized patterns in successive bifurcations in planar semiconductor-gas-discharge device

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Investigating dissipative structures in semiconductor-gas-discharge systems is crucial for understanding complex non-linear phenomena.
• Previous studies identified Andronov-Hopf bifurcations in such devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore novel self-organization modes in a planar semiconductor-gas-discharge device.
• To characterize charge transport through pulsating current filaments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a planar semiconductor-gas-discharge device with nitrogen at pressures on the right branch of the Paschen curve.
• Employed semi-insulating GaAs wafers as electrodes, exhibiting linear transport.
• Observed and analyzed current filament dynamics and spatiotemporal patterns.

Main Results:

• Discovered a new self-organization mode involving pulsating current filaments, distinct from Andronov-Hopf bifurcations.
• The critical current for this bifurcation is independent of voltage polarity.
• Spatio-temporal dynamics varied significantly with electrode polarity, forming ordered patterns with positive GaAs potential.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals a new mechanism of dissipative structure formation in semiconductor-gas-discharge devices.
• Pulsating current filaments represent a significant mode of self-organization with polarity-dependent dynamics.
• Findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of non-linear dynamics and pattern formation in condensed matter systems.