Eur. Phys. J. B (2016) 89: 196
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2016-70145-0

Regular Article

Soliton assisted control of source to drain electron transport along natural channels – crystallographic axes – in two-dimensional triangular crystal lattices

¹ Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense, Paseo Juan XXIII, 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
² Deptment of Physics, Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaya 83, 410012 Saratov, Russia
³ Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany

^a e-mail: mgvelarde@pluri.ucm.es

Received: 7 March 2016
Received in final form: 7 July 2016
Published online: 12 September 2016

Abstract

We present computational evidence of the possibility of fast, supersonic or subsonic, nearly loss-free ballistic-like transport of electrons bound to lattice solitons (a form of electron surfing on acoustic waves) along crystallographic axes in two-dimensional anharmonic crystal lattices. First we study the structural changes a soliton creates in the lattice and the time lapse of recovery of the lattice. Then we study the behavior of one electron in the polarization field of one and two solitons with crossing pathways with suitably monitored delay. We show how an electron surfing on a lattice soliton may switch to surf on the second soliton and hence changing accordingly the direction of its path. Finally we discuss the possibility to control the way an excess electron proceeds from a source at a border of the lattice to a selected drain at another border by following appropriate straight pathways on crystallographic axes.