Eur. Phys. J. B 47, 443-447 (2005)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2005-00345-6

Multiple-frequency current oscillations in GaAs-AlGaAs quantum wells containing a thin semi-insulating layer

¹ Department of Physics and Key Laboratory of Atomic and Molecular Nanoscience, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, P.R. China
² Department of Physics, Yantai University, 264005, Yantai P.R. China

Corresponding author: ^a zhdai@ytu.edu.cn

Received: 14 March 2005
Revised: 23 May 2005
Published online: 28 October 2005

Abstract

We have investigated non-equilibrium electron transport properties of a quantum well with an inserted thin semi-insulating potential barrier layer in nonlinear bias using a time-dependent simulation technique. We find that the charge redistribution with time in the whole structure has an important effect on the final current-voltage (I-V) curves. The results show that there are two evident current hysteresis phenomena in the negative differential conductance regions and the inserted semi-insulating potential barrier layer induces the formation of multiple emitter quantum wells, which leads to high-frequency terahertz current oscillations with multiple-frequency relations around the valley of current.