Electron tunneling dynamics between two-dimensional and zero-dimensional quantum systems: Contributions of momentum matching, higher subbands, and phonon-assisted processes

Abstract

We investigate tunneling dynamics of electrons from an ensemble of self-assembled InAs quantum dots into the subbands of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). LO-phonon-assisted tunneling processes and tunneling into higher subbands of the 2DEG electronic structure cause distinct resonances in the evolution of the tunneling rate as a function of the energy detuning between quantum dot and 2DEG ground state. By devising a semiquantitative model, we identify the momentum mismatch between the quantum dot and 2DEG wave function as the crucial quantity governing the evolution of the tunneling rate. In particular, we demonstrate that this mechanism along with the availability of tunneling into the second 2DEG subband allows for tuning of the tunneling rate by more than two orders of magnitude.