The role of emitter quasi-bound state and scattering on intrinsic bistability in resonant tunneling diodes

Abstract

Usually, numerical self-consistent calculations predict a much larger intrinsic bistability region than actually is measured in resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs). In addition, numerical calculations have shown that scattering in the well reduces bistability. We used a unified treatment of current flowing from continuum states and emitter quasi-bound states to show numerically and analytically that not only the scattering in the quantum well but also the scattering in the emitter reduces bistability. Moreover, within the Hartree approximation, bistability occurs by tunneling resonantly between emitter quasi-bound state and well quasi-bound state as a pitchfork bifurcation.