K||=0 filtering effects in ballistic electron transport through sub-surface resonant tunneling diodes

Abstract

In ballistic electron emission microscopy on Au–GaAs double barrier resonant tunneling diodes, electrons are transferred across an interface between an area of high and low effective mass and subsequently through a low-dimensional state. Using an extended transfer matrix method, we show that in this situation only electrons with zero wave vector parallel to the barriers can be transmitted resonantly.