Collective behavior in the single-electron charging regime through classical molecular dynamics.

Abstract

We studied a semiconductor quantum wire having a smooth and continuous double-barrier potential superimposed along its length. The device is prepared at electron densities such that the interelectronic distance is bigger than the Bohr radius in GaAs. The strong Coulomb interaction between such carriers is accounted for exactly by classical molecular dynamics methods. We report the presence of charge-density-wave states as the main single-electron transport mechanism in this device. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.