Current Peak Characteristics of Triple-Barrier Resonant-Tunneling Diodes with and without Phase Breaking

Abstract

We studied peak characteristics in the current–voltage (I–V) curve of triple-barrier resonant-tunneling diodes (TBRTDs). The current peak broadening caused by the well–well and well-electrode couplings is revealed. The electron phase breaking effect is incorporated into the analysis to obtain the I–V curve of TBRTD using the phase correlation method. For strong well–well coupling, the peak current is independent of the phase breaking, while for weak coupling it is dependent of it. The electron coherence can be estimated using TBRTDs designed appropriately.