Resonant tunneling between parallel 1D quantum wires and adjoining 2D electron reservoirs

Abstract

We report on non-equilibrium transport measurements as a function of Fermi-energy of two-dimensional (2D) to one-dimensional (1D) resonant tunneling transistors. The investigated samples are fabricated by means of the cleaved-edge overgrowth method to provide atomically precise parallel 1D quantum wires adjacent to 2D electron reservoirs. We find a pronounced negative differential resistance, which is identified as resonant tunneling of 2D electrons through the ground state of the (coupled) quantum wire(s). Further signatures are related to the first-excited (coupled) quantum wire(s) state. The data are qualitatively consistent with a proposed model, which considers the specific structure of the given samples and low-dimensional tunneling with energy and momentum conservation.